See Saturn
Flores
SCORE: 6.7 chorus-vibratos out of 10
The sophomore album from the indie-rock outfit feels more ethereal and slightly sophisticated than its predecessor, but it’s still pretty much grounded on the same sounds that dictate the aesthetics of the Tijuana music scene.
Do you like dream-pop, shoegaze and all the oneiric offsprings of indie-rock but feel left out and judged by your snobby pretentious friends who manage barely-visited music pages and write silly reviews? Well, do we have the scene for you! Just pack your things, tuck in your turtleneck sweater, put on your Chelsea boots and book yourself a flight to Tijuana, where the friendly arpeggiated diminished chords of Policías y Ladrones will welcome you in all their open-stringed friendliness, along with Memory Leak’s softly spoken distant vocals, and the undeniable 80s flare of DVTrip, Onto Her Bed and See Saturn. Everything is warm, fuzzy and now there’s a new addition to the catalogue: See Saturn’s latest release, Flores.
The sophomore album from this indie-rock outfit may be more ethereal and slightly sophisticated than its predecessor -2018s Ocean Rock- where the band packed a bunch of indie cliches, resulting in a quasi-tribute to The Smiths, but it’s still pretty much grounded on the sounds that dictate the aesthetics of the Tijuana music scene. Simply put, this is still the sound of a local band struggling to find their style amongst a very well defined set of influences. The only fresh aspect they bring to the table, is that some of their catchier songs -kind of- give a Frazier Chorus vibe. Intentional or incidental, even the most die-hard See Saturn fan would have to hesitate before saying that “Me Siento Bien”, “Chelsea” and “Cassie” (itself a reprise of “Chelsea”) don’t sound like The Smiths covering “Dream Kitchen” or “Storm”.
Surprisingly, the album’s lack of personality isn’t its biggest flaw. Where Flores suffers the most is in its production. The few stylistic detours the band takes don’t shine enough because every single song is drenched in the same aesthetic. The guitars are always vibrating with the typical detuned warble of the dream-pop vs jizz-jazz effects; the voice has the same flangery vibe on most tracks, and the bass is buried somewhere underneath (which is a shame because it is the most lively element on the record). There’s an interesting intro on “Dalia”, with a funky groove, but See Saturn just can’t help to return to the same indie worship dynamics as if that was their trademark. It’s clear that the band wanted a more polished sound to be more accessible and appealing (nothing wrong with that) but, because of the production, it just feels monotonous and -without being that long- it starts to drag out halfway through.
To say that if you heard one song you’ve heard them all, would be a somewhat unfair hyperbole, but it wouldn’t be that far off. However, this is mostly because of the production issue and not strictly because of the songs themselves. See Saturn’s songwriting did improve, but their aesthetics just became more camouflaged with that of a hundred similar projects. If they want to go the same route as your average Ramona clone, they’re more than capable of doing it. The same goes if they want to truly transcend over their influences, but if they want to do that, there’s still plenty of room to cover.
There are two ambient passages -opener “Plantae” and equator “Orchide”- which are good enough, but their presence doesn’t quite add anything to the experience; the former may work as an intro, but the latter’s placement in the middle doesn’t do much to reinforce the second half of the album since there’s no significant change to announce. Besides tying in with the LP’s title, there doesn’t seem to be any conceptual consequence out of these pieces; furthermore, when it comes to their structure, they’re basically the same as the rest of the songs, just without a rhythm section.
As it is the case with the majority of local bands, everything is purely superficial. See Saturn proudly take from the styles that are trending locally and nationally, but don’t quite do anything unique with them; we’re yet to pinpoint exactly where the influences end and where See Saturn begins. “12” ends with such a full on Dinosaur Jr. meets My Bloody Valentine moment, that it makes you wonder if they have even heard those bands before (it’s obvious they have, I’m just trying to make a point). However, there is a slight growth when it comes to songwriting. The tracks on Flores feel more thought out and dynamic that on their previous endeavor.
The band’s approach to texture might have been more noticeable if it weren’t for the fact that every member was covered by the same effect in every track; Flores would have been a very rich and palpable experience with better production and a broader stylistic scope. After all, if See Saturn were meticulous enough to effectively imitate the main elements of certain style, just imagine what they could do with a broader influence palette and a more defined personality.
