Written by: Jen Dan
Joseph Sant, the Brooklyn-based, ambient folk-pop/dream-pop artist at the helm of the band of the same name, is readying his debut EP, Sea White Salt, for self-release on January 14th. Sant (songwriter, vocals, guitar, bass, percussion) enlisted the aid of Stirling Krusing (lap steel, guitars, harmonica), Tyler Graham (drums), and his friend Gabriel Galvin (guitars keyboards, drums, percussion) in the creation of Sea White Salt. When playing live, the foursome becomes a five-piece that includes Georgia Tan on bass. The EP was produced, recorded, and mixed by Gabriel Galvin at his Four Foot Studios in Brooklyn and mastered by Randy Merrill of Sterling Sound.
Sant spans two geographical locations on his material and in his mindset; his original home of Seattle, Washington and his new environment of New York. He digs into the coastal areas of both regions to reveal the quickly changing vagaries of the natural world, be it stormy or calm, and how that reflects upon the human-made, ‘cityscape’ world. “Horse at the beach” immerses the listener slowly into a folk-pop ambience of gentle acoustic guitar strum, steady, brushed drum hits, a ticking rhythm, and Sant’s delicate, light vocals. An airily bright synth line winds through the track as Sant, with a hint of Jeff Buckley’s haunting wistfulness, softly murmurs “Like a hydrant open / I’m floating out…” A sky-scraping guitar line takes off three-quarters in, giving the song a sharp, buoyant kick.
Next number “Sea White Salt” evokes a retro, torch ballad vibe with its minimalistic sonics of slow-paced drum beat, light acoustic guitar chime and reverb, and fluttering drum beat. Sant is in the spotlight, singing longingly in a hushed, but high, choirboy tone, but unfortunately his words are too hazy to comprehend. Sant brings in an upbeat pop song tempo for “Nor’easter” which gently swirls with curls of guitar and is anchored by an emphatic drum beat. Touches of reverb guitar and angular guitar lines run through the tune and eventually bloom in intensity, accompanied by continual cymbal shimmer and Sant’s subdued and mostly indecipherable lyrics.
The folk-pop vibe continues on last song “Only The Shock” which shuffles with a light, but quick tread of acoustic guitar jangle, deeper reverb guitar lines, clacking percussion, drum thump, and Sant’s mild, yet pensive vocal tone. He blends the themes of the creative process and the environment together, tiptoeing through the lyrics “All these songs assemble into fog / roll over the hill and into San Francisco.” At least that seems to be what he’s saying… The ambient, folk-pop style and instrumentation and Sant’s tender vocal tones are pleasing, but the lack of clarity on the lyrics is a bit of a letdown.
Further reading: https://www.facebook.com/josephsantmusic
