Review: Sinners & Saints "Stupid Little Songs"

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There’s something about Charlotte singer-songwriter PerryFowler that makes you want to root for him. Maybe it’s the natural charm hecarries with him no matter if he’s waiting tables, in the audienceenthusiastically watching his Charlotte music peers, or on stage both solo andwith  Sinners & Saints (his band with Mark Baran). His demeanor is genial, never forced. The“Stupid Little Songs” on the new five track Sinners & Saints EP are nodifferent. The group delivers countrified tales of love with twangy harmoniesand rootsy instrumentation - harmonica, fiddle, etc. Those instruments blendwell, but are still allowed room to breathe on songs like “Million Dollars”where you can hear strings plucked, a fiddle weeping, and the calculated strumof the guitar. It’s the kind of song you can imagine quieting a crowd at TheThirsty Beaver on a Sunday afternoon.
“Stupid Little Songs” is deeply Southern, but contemporary. Fowler’s phrasing on “I Don’t Want to Work” for instance remindsme of critically acclaimed Americana darling Jessica Lea Mayfield (who is fromOhio, so not exactly Southern), but delivered briskly. The song then whisksinto a lovely harmonized refrain of “I don’t want to go to work/All I want todo is stay in bed with you” - a simple sentiment that succinctly captures thatfeeling of falling in love at the beginning of a relationship, talking into thewee hours, wanting to spend every minute together and making yourselves latefor work. Anyone that’s fallen in love in that manner should relate to it.
That outlook carries into the next track “Have It All,”which is equally catching. The sentiment - “Seems like we’re all eithersearching for something or someone/Sometimes we settle for anything or anyone/What’ssay we take the fall...we had those feeling whenever we was young andunafraid to have it all” - is more mature and reflective, as if looking back ona time when the romantic risks of the opening track were the norm. It could actuallybe interpreted as a critique on relationships, getting older, or even the way someconsumers accept whatever’s easiest (mainstream radio, reality TV) and closestto access as they get older instead of seeking out quality in entertainment.That may be reading too much into it, but I like it when a song works onseveral different levels and allows the listener to come to a conclusion - and morethan one at that.
“I’m No Good” is more of a downhome boot stomper andprobably a bit less resonant than some of the more emotionally-anchored tracks.But as a faster, upbeat track it could be one of the strongest live.
The harmonies and instrumentation recall early AvettBrothers. “Stupid Little Songs” is marked by the same raw, rugged feel andharmonies that blend well without the singers’ voices all mashing together. Youcan hear the highs, the lows, and the in-betweens. Those qualities are most notableon the final track “The Odds."  Itsmatter-of-fact delivery of lines like “Don’t forget where you came from…we mustall overcome” also remind me of those Avetts’ lines that inspire massive crowds to sing along often loudly overtaking the band.
Sinners & Saints play Snug Harbor Friday with BlackIron Gathering and Antique Animals. 9 p.m. $5. 704-333-9799; www.snugrock.com (Photo courtesy of the band's site at http://www.reverbnation.com/sinnersandsaintsnc)