Album Review: Siena Root - Pioneers

I am a naturalist when it comes to music. When I listen to a band, I want to hear music that sounds like it's actually being played by real people. That's why the vintage resurrection has been a welcome change of pace, even if many of the bands have not figured out how to write songs as effectively as those of bygone times. The fact that they went back to organic productions that sound like the band plugged in and are playing in the same room as you is eminently appealing. It's only when you can hear the rough edges, the uncompressed sound of music as it actually exists, that you can really appreciate what you're experiencing. Modern production saps the life out of music, so bands like Siena Root are one of the rare instances where going back in time is actually a step forward.

Siena Root's take on the sounds of the past is different than most of what else is out there, bringing equal doses of Deep Purple and 70s progressive rock. The mixture is unique among their brethren, and accurately captures what made the music of that time endure.

“Bewteen The Lines” opens things with a bluesy riff and swirling organs, sounding like a dirtier, looser version of Deep Purple. There's just enough grit in the guitar tone, and the Hammond organ is one of my favorite sounds, so the album makes a great first statement. The way that they're able to slow things down into a soft bridge without it feeling like a piece that was tacked on is impressive, and the dueling guitar and organ solo that follows is straight from the old-school playbook. One song in, there's already something for everyone.

As the album progresses, you get songs that are heavier on groove (“7 Years”), and some that take on a proggier approach (the closing “In My Kitchen”). All the while, Siena Root establishes their own identity as a band, never sounding like a jukebox of old tropes. There are huge backing vocals in the awesome “Spiral Trip” that recall Blue Oyster Cult, but the song has an infectious energy to it, and they just feel like an organic part of the song. Siena Root has a way of taking these familiar sounds, and integrating them into their songs so well that you hardly notice that they are classics.

What makes “Pioneers” stand out and work so well is their dedication to the Hammond organ. That sound is key to making these songs shine, giving texture to the music, and keeping the album from bogging down in too much of the same thing. Siena Root's music has depth to it that most of the bands playing vintage rock are lacking, and that makes a huge difference. The classic bands are classic not just because of the songs they wrote, but because of their dedication to not standing pat and copying their own sound from one song to the next, one album to the next. Siena Root has a basic sound, but they use their instruments in enough different ways that the songs never blend into one another, retaining their identity as the album flows.

When I'm listening to songs like “Spiral Trip” or “The Way You Turn”, they're catchy in that way that retains all the power of great rock music. It's a tough line to straddle, and there are a few tracks here that do it perfectly. Of course, given that there is diversity on display here, that means there will be a track or two that doesn't appeal to you. Don't let that be a deal-breaker, because “Pioneers” is still good, even in it's weaker moments. It's a promising album from a band that understands how vintage music needs to be made. There aren't many of them around, so it's always a treat when you find one.