Savoir Adore — Our Nature (2012)

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Savoir Adore — Our Nature
Location: Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Album release: October 16, 2012
Record Label: Redeye Label/Popular
Duration:     52:06
Tracks:
01. Dreamers     4:50
02. Loveliest Creature     4:03
03. Sparrow     3:12
04. Imagination     4:23
05. Anywhere You Go     3:56
06. Our Nature     4:06
07. Regalia     4:46
08. At The Same Time     4:30
09. Empire of Light     4:22
10. Speed Bump     5:05
11. Wild Davie     4:18
12. Sea of Gold     4:37
Members: Deidre Muro, Paul Hammer, Tim McCoy, Gary Atturio, Alex Foote
CREDITS:
• Gary Atturio Bass, Mixing
• Julian Bialowas Design
• Alex DeTurk Mastering
• Leah Ecklind Cover Photo
• Paul Hammer Composer, Mixing, Primary Artist, Producer
• Tim McCoy Drums
• Deidre Muro Composer, Primary Artist, Producer
• Doug Olsen Cover Image
• Robert Perlick-Molinari French Horn
• Savoir Adore Primary Artist
Editorial Reviews
• On ''Dreamers'', the dance-laden lullaby and lead single from Savoir Adore's new album Our Nature, Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro invite listeners into a dream world. Such worlds are nothing new to the fantasy pop duo, who inadvertently became a fixture of Brooklyn's indie scene as the result of a dare. In 2007, as disheartened solo artists, they whimsically retreated out of the city to a rural studio with two rules: ''48 hours. No acoustic guitars.'' They returned with The Adventures of Mr. Pumpernickel and The Girl with Animals in Her Throat (Cantora), a concept-driven EP set in a fairy tale land that narrates the tragedy of Gloria and her unrequited love. On 2009's full length In The Wooded Forest (Cantora), they expounded on the EP's mythical landscape. But where Savoir Adore's previous releases have surveyed these worlds at a distance, Our Nature zooms in, putting our inner landscapes and relationships at the core of every track. In that vein, the recordings themselves are intentionally more crisp, aurally expansive and intriguing. In late 2011, Savoir Adore offered a sneak peak of Our Nature, releasing ''Dreamers'' as a 7'' on Neon Gold Records. With the release of the full album in 2012, Savoir Adore will hit the road to promote Our Nature and invite listeners, if only for night, into their magical realm.
Website: http://savoiradore.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/savoiradore/info
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Review by Tim Sendra Editor rating: ***
• N.Y.C. duo Savoir Adore don't exactly break any new ground on their second album, Our Nature. The glittery disco beats meet dream pop meets new wave sound is one that many bands have tried on for size. Friendly Fires, for one. Cut Copy, another. The duo of Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro manage to give that well-worn template a little twist on the album thanks to their wide-eyed innocence and male-female vocal harmonies. The best songs on the album, like "Loveliest Creature" and "Empire of Light," have a light-as-air quality and some pretty sharp hooks, sharp as anything on a Friendly Fires album. Elsewhere, "Speed Bump" is a nice New Order pastiche with very cute vocals from Muro, and "Sea of Gold" sounds like a solid Thompson Twins album track. Unfortunately, their innocence and simple charm isn't enough to carry the album. The overly slick production makes it hard to really latch on to the music; too many of the songs sound like alt-rock radio fodder. "Anywhere You Go" in particular sounds like a Letters to Cleo update and while that in itself may not be a bad thing, when every song begins to feel like that as the album goes on, it's a problem. There's a really good EP hidden in the overly long album -- just grab all the tracks that lean more toward new wave electro pop and ditch the alt-rock, and it works. As it stands, though, Our Nature is too long and just not unique enough to really stand out among all the artists treading similar ground.

REVIEW
By Katie Chow, October 16, 2012
• There are so many bands competing for attention in Brooklyn, you just have to be really good at songwriting, right? That’s what “fantasy pop” duo Savoir Adore seems to be going for. Deidre Muro and Paul Hammer started their project by creating their own new set of fairy tales, but on Our Nature, their lyrics come back to earth while letting their music explore other worlds. Since their debut LP, In The Wooded Forest, they’ve amicably parted ways with Cantora, the label responsible for launching MGMT’s early career. The self-released Our Nature shows that they’re doing just fine on their own.
• Lead single “Dreamers” opens the album, fizzing synths giving way to Muro and Hammer’s traded vocals. It’s this dynamic that drives Savoir Adore, and for the most part, it’s a fairly laid-back one that speaks to a particular security. They have faith in their songs, and so should you.
• Muro has a side project called Deidre And The Dark that amps up ’60s stylings, and that influence is also audible in tracks like “Sparrow” and “Anywhere You Go.” “Won’t you let me come with you wherever you’ll be headed to?” she sings on the latter, channeling a mid-century vision of puppy love. As a whole, however, Savoir Adore’s sound on this record balances a sense of modernity with a steady grasp on timeless ideas of romance and guitar pop appeal.
• The recording quality is smart and sophisticated, and the overall feel of Our Nature is much richer-sounding than on In The Wooded Forest. This is especially evident on tracks like “Imagination,” a particularly dreamy offering. There’s also a surprising diversity to the record, with the swoon-worthy “Empire Of Light” segueing into the pulsing, New Wave-inspired stomp of “Speed Bump.” Similarly, “Loveliest Creature” is carried by a punchy beat and one of Muro’s more powerful performances.
• The best is saved for last. “Sea Of Gold” sees Muro and Hammer’s voices in perfect balance, coasting over a rattling rhythm. It feels like the moment of peace before falling asleep. Sweet dreams.
Fortaken: http://www.cmj.com
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Review by Jacob Royal STAFF
October 17th, 2012 | Editor rating: 4.0 Excellent
Review Summary: A patchwork of promise.
• Savoir Adore kicked off their musical career with one rule, straight-forward enough. Their debut EP had to be done within 48 hours, and with no acoustic guitars. A challenge to foster creativity? Perhaps. If creativity wasn't a part of the group's humble beginning, though, it's certainly a part of the formula in 2012. What we have in Our Nature is an album with delectable indie songs, traditional in structure but unique in terms of styling. “Dreamers,” for instance, reveres the dance hooks of the ‘80s by channeling them into a distinctly modern energy. And overall, Our Nature gives the impression of having been around the block and back. The album treads a surprising amount of indie-pop ground, each new interpretation of the genre much more of a success than anyone expected it to be.
• Savoir Adore know exactly what they’re doing on Our Nature. Every moment’s perfectly calculated, down to the finest details. “Empire of Light,” a late-game bombshell, is the most immediately gripping track here mostly because of its intricate arrangement, sanguine bassline moving on alongside cloudy synth landscapes. Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro deserve recognition for their stellar vocalplay on this track, as well as across the whole album, because their natural ability to write memorable vocal hooks is one of the most alluring qualities of Our Nature. There are many other highlights, though: the clear-cut production, the lush soundscapes carved sensitively, and the varietal instrumentation in play throughout the whole album. Our Nature begins similarly to a more immediate and confident Stars album, and quickly enough the album fades away with “Sea of Gold,” sentimental but in a more reserved manner. Regardless of the subtle mood change, though, Our Nature is startlingly cohesive throughout its runtime, one reticent tune dying to evolve into the jubilant anthem bound to come after. Variety and quality haven’t ever quite been this hand-in-hand, especially in the indie-pop realm where musicians these days are busy experimenting with texture palettes, one after the other. It all comes together freely here, the individual pieces hugging each other to create a patchwork of promise more sprawling than they ever imagined to be possible.
• Despite the best of the average artist’s intentions, he often struggles to create harmony within his material. Forced themes can overshadow the true lasting capability of an otherwise excellent aesthetic object, just like art that tries too hard can be too hard to swallow. However, occasionally both sides of the scale balance perfectly, in impeccable harmony, and it’s during these moments that we remember it comes easier to some artists than to others. Savoir Adore are best suited for exploring the recesses of indie-pop, noting what’s worked most successfully in the genre’s past and utilizing it to shade their brand of music as they please. Here’s to the group blowing away expectations, as well as to a long and prosperous future - Savoir Adore will continue to raise the bar higher and higher with each forthcoming release, and we’ll be there to witness it all.
Fortaken: http://www.sputnikmusic.com
Also: http://socalmusictoday.com/review-savoir-adore-our-nature/
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