Album Review: Saul – Rise As Equals

Iowa band debuts with a pretty OK album

This review was originally published in The Kelowna Daily Courier under the title “Album reviews: Killer, filler and anti-enlightenment“

Rise as Equals, the debut album from Iowa quartet Saul is a solid-enough collection of radio-ready modern rock.

Musically, Rise is well-executed pop-rock with catchy choruses, fun riffs and decent-enough breakdowns. The band’s official “About” page mentions they’ve shared the stage with the likes of Bush, Hellyeah, and Nonpoint, among others, and fans of those bands will find a lot to like in Rise. “Brother” and “Trial By Fire” – which were previously released as singles in 2019 – are a cut above the rest of the album, and benefit from being deeply personal songs. Both songs deal with or are dedicated to relatives of vocalist Blake and guitarist Zach Bedsaul.

The other standout is the final track of the album, a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine.” “Welcome” is vastly different than other tracks on the album, incorporating electronic elements and lots of vocal effects. “Welcome” is also much more reserved than other tracks, with Blake and drummer Myles Clayborne doing most of the work during the verses, which makes Zach and bassist William McIlravy’s occasional, brief sections hit harder. It’s easily the most interesting song on the album.

While it’s an otherwise OK debut, the best thing about Rise is the passion in its singles and the promise that Saul ,when they break away from clichés, will have no problem establishing themselves as “equals” in the rock scene. But they can and should strive for more.

5/10