I haven’t covered the band SAWCE in three years, but they’ve always stuck in the back of my head. There’s just something about the instrumental proggy guitar sound that hits so many sweet spots for me, and only a few other bands, like Polyphia or Intervals, can crank out to this day. If SAWCE isn’t featuring on a 100 Gecs song or jamming out with Anthony Green, they’re in the studio working on something that pushes the boundaries of math rock in concise, harmonic guitar runs that are as endearing as they are masterful in technicality. I’m excited to see their first record in six years come to fruition in Life is Temporary, SAWCE is Forever – how does it pan out?
Life is Temporary, SAWCE is Forever opens with “Fallout”; this melancholic, slow-tempo piece really showcases the pretty songwriting chops as it’s reminiscent of all-timer “The Flight” by Happy Body Slow Brain. Bloopy synth and rising action bring “Crunch” some flair and segues well into main single “Shonen” that serves as the standout track with a groovy drum beat, twangy guitar runs that sync quite well, and fits-like-a-glove bass that can be enjoyed with an isolated ear. The term “firing on all cylinders” really tells the story of this track that is peak SAWCE.
Fittingly-titled, “Emulate” kicks off sounding straight off a splendid NES OST. I felt myself sucked into the second-half as the tapping notes and the mesmerizing production cues gave this track some real character. “Rage Quit” continues the use of synth that really benefits the sound, and you can truly feel the eponymous chaotic ragequit moment near the track’s closure. Later on, Iwas trying to wrap my head around how SAWCE wrote the insane plucking guitars in the bridge of “Strand” before giving up.
A riff can carry a whole song sometimes, and “Lockstep” proves SAWCE knows that as it never gets tiring. Meanwhile, “Green Lane” is a dark horse for best song on Life is Temporary, SAWCE is Forever – it’s so delicate and meticulous enough to craft SAWCE’s most gorgeous offering yet. “Kill’em Dafoe” really provides the Chon vibes that made me fall in love with SAWCE years ago, but this isn’t Chon – SAWCE has eked out their own identity in a big way. That much is obvious in closer “With Love” as it’s evident there was no quality drop in this record’s non-singles.
Those craving a SAWCE record for more than half a decade have been patient, and it’s paid off – Life is Temporary, SAWCE is Forever has several instant favorite tracks from the virtuosos that ensured each song was given its own unique way to shine. I may have wanted a few more epic/fast-paced moments that I know the group are capable of, but can’t fault the tracks we got as they’re still earworms and sure to delight fans that have stuck around this long. Check out Life is Temporary, SAWCE is Forever when it releases Friday, October 13th.
