Sad And French – Self Titled

In recent years the boundary between indie and punk has blurred thanks to the advent of folk-punk.  Do vocals dictate the difference?  If so, then Andrew Jackson Jihad is unquestionably folk-punk, and by extension Ghost Mice and Deer Tick would fall in the same category.  But wait, aren’t those bands primary covered Pitchfork and the indie crew?  All right, let’s backtrack and assume that the difference is in having raging guitar work.  Yeah, that sounds reasonable.  But wait – where does that leave the likes of soft strummers Frank Turner and Chuck Ragan? 

Well, defining folk-punk seems like a pretty futile task, so let’s just move on to talking about folk-indie-punk outfit Sad And French.  The New York based acoustic act is new on the scene and full of fiery conviction.  Their self-titled debut full-length features plenty of passionate strumming to compliment vocalist Jose Prieto’s scratchy account of woe and heartache.  So much in fact, that back in 1999 the album may have been solely branded emo.  But in today’s soundscape, Sad And French’s songs for the heavyhearted will appeal to fans somewhere between Connor Oberst and the many folk-fusion artists above.

Taking a nod from many of those before them, Sad And French make for a surprisingly varied listen.  Opener “Against the Rules” sets the scene with a very barebones acoustic-vocal performance that could just as easily satisfy many likeminded bands for a full album.  But Sad And French take the opportunity to build on their early foundation a track later with “Another Way To Let You Go.”  Not only does the band call upon the sorrowed keys of a soft piano, but they graft a distant layer of female vocals behind Prieto’s lead at the half way mark.  In a song about hanging on after reluctantly letting go, the inclusion makes for a lingering, ghostly representation of the past.  Building on their momentum, “Shorter Days And Longer Nights” explodes into a militant acoustic chorus bolstered by handclaps and kick drums that bleeds like an open wound.  As the track winds down, Prieto enters a state of denial as he poses the question, “hello sadness where did you go, I haven’t seen you for a while, it was quite a happy ride.”

After the first few tracks shed their tears the album stumbles in its retreat into a dark corner of Sad And French’s sad little world.  “Sweet Little Nightmares” takes the heartache farther than necessary considering the boisterous, catchy rebound of songs like “Cheers To You” and “Bloody Faces” a track or so later.  That’s not to dismiss the merit of the album’s dimmer moments, but only a minority of them attains the depth or insight of “Memories Of The Past” or “I Saw A Ghost.” 

Sad And French make for a worthy debut that isn’t without some dragging moments.  Furthermore, the lyrics aren’t terribly deep (they don’t afford many points of discussion), but neither are one’s thoughts at the time of heartache.  But don’t let that overshadow what the band has going for them.  Inter-song subtleties help each song reach out to listeners, the overall package is greater than the sum of its parts, and perhaps most importantly, you don’t need to be depressed to sing along to Sad And French’s most tuneful moments.  Fans of folk-punk, indie-folk and straight up emo will likely find a great home for Sad And French under their collective wings.