[LISTEN] Sahara - Say The Right Thing

Sahara are back with a brand new track, "Say The Right Thing", and it's the south-coast bands first single since "Green Light". The new tune is a lot less of the darker side of the band, seen in "Green Light", and is more of the lighter, dancey-indie-pop that we love and first heard from them after they first formed. This track is certainly able to get the band a lot more exposure, but one thing is for sure... they know how to write some catchy lyrics, scroll on down and check out the track!

Track of the week... Sahara - Green Light

Bet they weren't expecting this one - I was going to do the usual news article post on their brand new track "Green Light", but after listening to it I had to do more, but how, oh yeah, TRACK OF THE WEEK. This is the latest effort to come from the London and Brighton outfit and it's their biggest track yet. As they brilliantly put in their Soundcloud bio -"Influences ranging from 40 year-old men" - this track has a whiff of 80's anthematic rock, combine that with their more modern influences with the usual Foals comparison not going a miss here, the band have clearly worked hard on this one.

With a gentle entry to the track, it sounds like something straight out from Foals' CCTV sessions, so brilliantly recorded, and so elegantly laid down. As the track progresses it builds and builds, with more atmospheric cues and guitars. The vocals on the track just clearly shout out that they wanted to be sung by the masses, and I can easily see this being a track I'm personally going to be playing a lot over the coming months!

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Sahara release new song "Again Into Blue"

Sahara have just released their new track "Again Into Blue". You can listen to the incredibly catchy song below.

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Daily Download... Sahara - Black Light

This is the second new song to come from Sahara in the space of a matter of days. And once again they're giving it away for free.

So pick it up below!

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Sahara unveil new track "Hometown"

Sahara have unveiled their latest single "Hometown" today, and the inredibly upbeat track is going for free for you all to download too!

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Daily Download... Sahara - Milk Based

Sahara earlier this year released their EP "Intox", and from that same EP you can download the track "Milk Based".

Go and grab a free mp3 today!

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EP Review... Sahara - Intox EP

Sahara are influenced by Foals. Their Facebook profile would also have them be compared equally to boiled potatoes and the Sahara desert, but really, Foals are the dominant force at work here, on Sahara’s debut: the Intox EP.

They also have a cover of ‘Inhaler’ up on Youtube and their name may very well be inspired by the Foals single ‘Spanish Sahara’ - at many other points on this EP, other band’s influences can be glaringly obvious - but this massive love for their heroes is actually quite healthy for Sahara.
Sahara have grasped the fundamentals of what makes the music they love so effective and have built from that template. On Intox, rhythm is central and infectious; textures and atmospheres are cavernous; vocals are eloquent and wail with expression. Where many have failed horribly, Sahara seem to have the technical ability and musical unity to execute this math-indie palaver tastefully and the end results sound promising. If not original, this is certainly exciting music from Winchester band.

The opening track, “Prologue”, crashes and explodes from tenderness into a mammoth ascension impressively. The production is lush and deserves praise for its part in making this band sound HUGE.

“Coming Down” has a more conventional pop structure and sees the entrance of frontman, Laith Whatwham: his wailing, rubber-voiced vocals and fearful lyrics recalling Robert Smith of The Cure; wrapping around the guitar work of Robert Webb and Marko Marincic, who mesh shimmering post-rock textures with impressive angular pop chops.

“Bloodhound” is a marauding riot to listen to, something in the vein of Arctic Monkeys, and the musicianship is as impressive as anywhere on the EP.

Like we discussed earlier, Sahara wear their influences on their sleeve and have clearly grown up infatuated by the post punk revival bands of the ‘00s: Foals and friends. Few of those bands ever made for predictable listening, and appear to have set a precedent for bands like Sahara to also push themselves with regards to musical interplay, nowhere else on the EP is this more apparent than on “Bloodhound”. Ben Bowen on drums, take a bow.

But if “Bloodhound” is a showcase of the technical skill that this band have to offer, “Milk Based” displays the group’s poppier side. We love the hook:

“It’ll take a milk based,
One in the morning,
Can’t just use any old alkali”

Really enjoyable listening, it brings to mind songs like “Honolulu” by Last Dinosaurs and “What You Know” by Two Door Cinema Club. Once again the guitar work is stellar and Sam Cooper’s bassline on this track is the most addictive thing we can legally endorse.

All in, Intox is catchy and clever but derivative. There’s nothing new being offered here; that bands like As Elephants Are or Last Dinosaurs or dare we even say Foals aren’t also doing. Although, these are strong songs and the musicianship is impressive. Laith’s vocals are well developed, lyrically affecting and interesting. It’ll be interesting to see where they go from here, as they develop their own sound. These young men have enough raw talent to create something great. If they are to stand out among their contemporaries, they’ll have to push that talent further into new territory and be as adventurous and challenging as their influences dared to be. But listen out for them, there are signs that this could go somewhere.

Sahara Intox EP
Out of 10: 6.5/10

Written by - Adam Carrington

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