Posted on: October 10, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

I reviewed Saturn nearly a year ago, and lets just say I wasn’t too much of a fan. However, opening eir disc with “Wild”, Saturn has nearly recuperated some of the weaknesses of the previous disc. The entire effort is much more solid than eir previous work – the backing instrumentation actually coddles and cuddles Saturn’s vocals, accentuating them in all the right place. For “Wild”, the track is transformed into a pseudo-Goth delivery with a dance-beat, a beat which in the title-track shows the Prince-esque leaning of Saturn. However, this whole-sale copping of Prince’s delivery is what I found so problematic on the first disc. “Chemistry” showcases another problem – in the track, the pseudo-Goth (almost Middle Eastern) delivery has to pull the entire track, as practically the only thing instrumental to be found on the track is a vaguely Middle-Eastern sample (guitar).

The same vibe present in “Chemistry” finds itself on “ I Luv Everything About U”, a track that falls into nearly the same pitfalls as its predecessor. “…Everything About U” is only saved by its second set of vocals, providing a nice nest for Saturn’s vocals, which crashed so hard into mediocrity on the last go-around. “Art” is another struggle for Saturn; while the vocals on the track are in the same vein as those on prior tracks, the choice of samples (an extremely fake/synthesized clapping) both mucks up the straight-forwardness of the track instead of increasing the effect of the vocals as well as sounds incredibly amateurish (the sample, as far as I can tell, is exactly the same through the track).

“Make U Scream” is the nearest thing one can find on “Deviant” that could be categorized as a “victory” for Saturn. The subject matter is sexually liberating, using lyrics like “I make U beg & make U cry & make U moan. It’s beautiful. I get so high when we 69. You’re # 1 & beautiful.”, the backing beat is fresh and professional, and Saturn’s falsetto is far enough from eir Prince imitation that this track comes out as what Saturn should be doing on eir discs. Using the same subject matter to fuel “Atlantis”, Saturn goes too far to the other extreme of Spartan-ness; too many bells and whistles detract eir listeners from what is admittedly most important on the disc: the artist eirself. The disc has more bright spots than “The Virgin Poet”, but Saturn needs more “Make You Screams” and less of the chaff that litters this disc. Top Tracks: They Don’t Know, Wild

Saturn – Deviant / 2004 Self-Released / 12 Tracks / http://www.iamsaturn.com / [email protected] / Reviewed 23 February 2005

Rating: 5.8/10

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