Melbourne based Satellite Gods have written and recorded an album overflowing with unpredictable melodies and ounces of warmth and openness, all in the form of these indie-rock meets gospel songs that are impossible not to listen to. Falling To Earth opens up the collection, thoughtfully evolving from the gentle verses to the full on hook sections in a way that makes you desperate to join in. It’s one hell of a hook, immediately memorable and one that is likely to grab your attention in any kind of setting.
The album stands out from a lot of indie band releases of recent months in that the collection features scattered moments of a number of different genres and styles. The move from the opener to Saturday Night in Riga is already pretty huge the instrumentation takes on a new persona, yet what works about this within the walls of the project is that the leading vocal, the lyrical persuasion, and the warmth of the hook all has that consistent familiarity even at this early stage. This is something the band have cleverly mastered throughout Marker 7-58. The storytelling is superb, unique to those involved, yet ever intriguing and full of charm.
There are some real moments of power throughout this project, as well as the occasional snippet of something retro, and the intermittent inclusion of those raw, intimate, broken down moments that really let you get a better insight into the essence of these songs and what it is that the band are about. 1 Through 8 is a good example of the latter, though the gentleness is built upon, and built upon further, until this intense and massive final few moments crashes into your consciousness. Then you get a beautifully poetic and reflective, emotional piece of music and writing with the aptly named The Truth.
On My Way is a gorgeous track, one you can check out below. A peaceful and dreamlike piece of music with an utterly gentle, almost whisper-like leading vocal performance unfolds initially. In true Satellite God style, however, things soon take a turn for the far more epic, with cascading vocal choruses and a hypnotically rhythmic outro. Invisible has a reverb soaked atmosphere to it and a slightly Dire Straits inspired guitar riff, and vocal presence in fact. My Friend is, in many ways, the exact opposite of everything that precedes it. The acapella performance is simply mesmerising, the voices wash over you like orchestral synths. This song is in a league of its own and well worth experiencing through well crafted speakers or headphones.
Onward from here the album offers the uplifting Irish folk energy of Once, the peaceful ambiance and inspiring lyricism of Stand By, and the sensational, sax driven beauty of Turn Away. There’s no shortage of eclecticism here and there’s no moment at which anything below par slips through the net. The songwriting is of an impressively high caliber. The final few moments are no exception – Hold Your Ground is a huge song, with yet another a huge and skillful vocal performance. So much of the project’s subject matter is genuinely optimistic and inspiring, it’s a pleasure to simply have it play in the same room as you.
That’s All has the easy going energy of a warm and comforting pop-rock track, another high quality melody comes forth. Then Walk In offers the final curtain call for the collection with a gorgeously appropriate, piano-led ballad that reflects powerfully upon the journey spent, in life, in relationships, in the songs that have passed by. It’s a poignant way to finish and seals the deal for the fact that Satellite Gods are a band more than worthy of your affection.
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