Eddie 9V: Saratoga Review

Georgia-born bandleader, Eddie 9V, left the fans a real treat in form of his latest album titled Saratoga. The new release is the fourth studio album in this artist’s discography, representing a big milestone in his career. It’s a flamboyant multi-genre 12-track record containing 11 original songs Eddie mainly co-wrote with his brother Lane Kelly.

Diving right into the song-by-song analysis, the title track kicks things off in a groovy fashion, and pretty much sells the album from the word go. The verses are backed by a bouncy, modern-sounding groove. The powerful vocals throughout the chorus represent the crown of this song though. A smooth sax part then paves the way for a soulful guitar solo before the chorus hits again. This tune commands immediate replay before moving on to “Halo” featuring wonderful and soothing acoustic guitar parts. Bliss. In number three, “Love Moves Slow” showcases how good a singer Eddie really is. Excellent technique and so much emotion in his voice.

The mood shifts with “Tides” which brings slightly more dissonant harmonies. The hip-hop style beat is well complemented by a distorted guitar playing in the chorus, proof of how much Eddie is evolving as a songwriter. This is followed by a beautiful ballad “Cry Like a River”, accompanied by huge backing vocals and brass parts. Sticking with the theme, the next song called “Red River” has got some lovely slide licks on acoustic guitar. Once again, the beat is very modern, and the mix is top notch. This is taken even further in “Delta”, a song that is both very bluesy and very ‘Fruity Loopsy’. Albeit a very interesting spin on the traditional sound, this high-contrast setting might take some getting used to for the more conservative among the blues rock fans.

“Wasp Weather” is a proper swampy stomper built on a massive drumbeat with some piano and fiddle on top, leading into the country-inspired psychedelia that is “Truckee”. Another lovely ballad follows titled “Love You All the Way Down” – sounding almost as if it were produced by Dan Auerbach. It wasn’t though as the production credits all go to Lane Kelly, Eddie 9V, and Patrick Meese.

“Chamber of Reflection” is the album’s cover song, originally written and recorded by Mac DeMarco. Eddie’s singing is once again immaculate. The album ends with a sentimental slow number “The Road to Nowhere” adding 60s vibes to the mix.

Saratoga definitely brings a unique twist on some of the classic genres that we all love. It is brave, it is unconventional, it is defiant, but ultimately it’s extremely powerful and genuine. A true breath of fresh air, and arguably one of the finest releases of the year.

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Saratoga
– Tides
– Wasp Weather
– Love You All the Way Down

The Big Hit

– Saratoga