Saving Abel - Saving Abel Review
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 05.09.2008
You’ve heard “Addicted”, but us this band’s major label debut all about sexy midtempo rockers?
My Story
We’re suckers for sexy album covers, aren’t we? Hell, why else would the Black Crowes’ Amorica sell 500,000 copies without a hit single? And don’t even get me started on the Britney Spears and Christina Aguileras of the world.
New rock outfit Saving Abel are the latest to give us some eye candy in the CD aisles, with a close-up of a chick in tight jeans and a band logo tramp stamp on the cover of their self-titled debut. Will this prove to be just bait, or can Saving Abel live up to the sexed-up rock that their album cover implies?
Their Story
Saving Abel formed in 2004, the musical offspring of Jason Null and Jared Weeks, who, until their formation, had been members of rival bands in their small home base of Corinth, Mississippi. With influences like Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC and Johnny Cash, Null and Weeks formed a tight bond as they began writing and playing songs together.
While gigging as an acoustic duo, the band (dubbed Saving Abel in reference to the Biblical story of Cain & Abel) caught the ear of notable producer Skidd Mills. Mills, who had worked with bands from ZZ Top to Saliva, was moved to work with the band on an album. Since Mills was located in Memphis (around a two hour drive from Corinth), Saving Abel had to do their sessions piecewise in the midst of full-time jobs and weekend gigs. During that period, the band added guitarist Scott Bartlett, bassist Daniel Dwight, and drummer Blake Dixon to the line-up, turning them into a full-on electric rock band.
The end result of the sessions with Mills was 2006’s self-released record Saving Abel. With its professional production, the album became a great promotional device for Saving Abel, as not only was it available at independent record stores and website, but it also made its way around the major labels. The set, particularly the track “Addicted”, managed to impress execs at Virgin Records, who signed Saving Abel to a deal in 2007.
The band (which now featured bassist Eric Taylor, who replaced Dwight) re-recorded many of their early tracks with Skidd Mills and also some new songs, all to be featured on their major label debut. The first single, “Addicted”, was released to radio in early 2008. It has since reached the Mainstream Rock Top 10.
Saving Abel currently has tour dates lined up through July.
Media
Saving Abel – “Addicted” Video (Dirty Version)
The Album
On March 11, 2008, Virgin Records & Skiddco Music released Saving Abel, the major label debut by Saving Abel. The album features five songs which were previously available on the 2006 indie release Saving Abel.
The Band: 7.5
Jason Null: guitar
Jared Weeks: vocals
Scott Bartlett: guitar
Blake Dixon: drums
Eric Taylor: bass
Saving Abel is an obvious product of today’s modern rock radio. They rock like Nickelback, Puddle Of Mudd, Daughtry and every other band of that ilk. Their press holds that they have a handle on the southern rock classics – folks like Skynyrd, AC/DC, The Black Crowes and even 3 Doors Down. This pedigree is most obvious in that their tough riffs, which would sound right at home blaring out of pick-up trucks in high school parking lots and college football tailgating parties. The team of Jason Null and Scott Bartlett break out on the faster tracks, driving us into radio rock heaven.
But like all bands these days, Saving Abel also has their sensitive side, most likely developed from their early days as an acoustic duo. Songs that can combine these two elements, like “She Got Over Me”, are most gratifying, and you can once again thank the guitar duo of Null and Bartlett for that.
As for frontman Jared Weeks, he’s no doubt been brought up on a healthy dose of Chad Kroeger, as have most rockers of his age. People point to this as a negative, but you could do worse than to copy from the most successful modern rock band going. Hell, people put down Nickelback for copying Creed, and they turned out alright. Anyway, Weeks makes a very competent vocalist for this band, equally sensitive and cocksure, the kind of redneck romeo/fuckmachine that all teenage guys aspire to be. With that kind of guy leading a band who know their way around a riff, Saving Abel is all but assured a good run on the charts.
The Songs: 7.0
1. New Tattoo
2. Addicted
3. She Got Over Me
4. 18 Days
5. Drowning (Face Down)
6. In God’s Eyes
7. Sailed Away
8. Beautiful Day
9. Out Of My Face
10. Running From You
11. Beautiful You
Saving Abel makes good on their sexually charged cover art from jump street, kicking out with the track “New Tattoo”, a song about picking up a hot hitchhiker on the way to Panama City. The ZZ Top influence is evident here, as the place that sells “Tattoos/Piercings/Belly rings here” sounds like it should be located beside a place that sells “Clean shirt/New shoes”.
And the sex is just getting started, as the major modern rock hit “Addicted” follows, finding Jared Weeks singing about “the things you do/When you’re going down on me/In between the sheets”. I hear their next album’s gonna be called Fuck Innuendo. Think about it.
The funny thing is that the album begins to turn an emotional corner following the midtempo-“Addicted”. Tracks like the acoustic tinged “18 Days” (It’s been 18 days/Since I first held you), and the string-enhanced “Beautiful Day” is sappy enough to make Train proud.
In summary, Saving Abel seems ready to please every angle of Modern Rock radio.
The 411: Some may call Saving Abel calculated, but I don’t think this band has looked that far ahead. It’s merely derivative, covering ground with the well-worn footprints of bands like Nickelback and 3 Doors Down already upon it without any type of shame. These guys are just wearing their influences on their sleeve. And if you like songs about all aspects of sex (from random BJ’s by tattooed hitchhikers to missing those loving BJs from the girl who stole your heart), you’ll enjoy Saving Abel.
