Saltine
Reveal Love 7”
Casa Recordings
Saltine is the newest project from Ken Stringfellow, the busybody involved in such classic popster bands as the Posies and the semi-reunited Big Star that played at Missouri University several years ago. Recently involved in touring with R.E.M., Stringfellow found time somewhere along the line to start another band with fruits that don’t fall too far from his jangly musical tree. If this 7-inch is any indication of what’s to come, that’s a damn good thing. “Reveal Love” is an uptempo, moody pop song with a slightly forlorn quality. Filled with Stringfellow’s pretty vocals, it is an instantly hummable and touching song that conjures up images of movie scene greatness. “Find Yourself Alone,” while not quite as lovely, still rises well above the quality of most throwaway B-side material. It is almost as catchy and actually has a more memorable chorus than its flipside brethren. With these two songs, Saltine has thus far proven to live up to the impressive musical lineage that Stringfellow brings with him. As long as they can keep the name – it seems far too common to not have been snagged already – here’s hoping they can release some more music in the very near future to continue the trend.
Casa Recordings; http://www.casarecordingco.com
