Sainthood Reps - Monoculture

As someone who grew up listening to Tooth and Nail Records and loving everything (mostly) that they released, it's been sad to watch the label change. And I understand that they're a business and being a business mean you have to make money. I got that. But as a music fan I do wish every band on the label was similar to great acts like Roadside Monument, Luxury, MxPx, Driver Eight... I basically wish it were 90's again.

But I still care about Tooth and Nail. I still root for the label. With each and every new singing, I make sure to check out the new bands coming in. I keep hoping for a turn. T&N has signed great bands recently. Children 18:3, Queens Club. MewithoutYou and Run Kid Run are both great bands. But overall I haven't been impressed with what Tooth and Nail is offering.

Sainthood Reps was promised to be a throwback. A band with a "90's" sound. Comparisons to Fugazi and Nirvana were thrown out there as well as mid-west emo staples like The Promise Ring. But being from Long Island you hear comparisons to Brand New and Taking Back Sunday. So who is Sainthood Reps?

Sainthood Reps is actually a good mixture of Fugazi and The Promise ring with a little bit of Nirvana thrown. They're also the best band Tooth and Nail has signed since mewithoutYou. Monoculture is a nice blend of odd time signatures, quirky guitar rhythms, half screamed vocals. The record is a bit all over the map but in a good way. It's not boring and music these days tends to get stale quick.

Monoculture, Animal Glue, and No Survival are all songs that remind me of the great 90's DC post-punk scene. Nothing overly aggressive, but the guitars squeal and move from discordant note to discordant note, as the vocals come out less like a scream and more like a rant. DINGUS sounds like Nirvana if Nirvana had been from DC and Seattle. Telemarketeer, Hunter, and Hotfoot all have great melodies and the atmospherics on the guitar creates a nice effect that makes the difference between the driving songs and melodic songs really appealing. Widow is a great closing track. It's the one song where that Long Island emo sound comes through but it's in such contrast to the rest of the album that as an ending track, it sits so beautifully and there's nothing to hate.

Monoculture is going to find a place in the nostalgic hearts of a lot of older music fans like myself. Great debut from Sainthood Reps.