After a hugely successful tour opening for the British Rock and Roll band, The Struts. This Detroit, Michigan native band, Mac Saturn, has released their debut record titled “Hard to Sell.” The band’s debut record is available everywhere after its release on January 26, 2024. Before “Hard to Sell,” the band released four singles and one EP, with two of those four singles appearing on this record. “Hard to Sell” contains 10 studio songs and three live songs at the very end and the entire album has a run time of 23 minutes. Currently, Mac Saturn is on their “Hard To Sell” tour supporting the new record.
The album starts with “Mint Julep.” The song starts with a funky guitar riff from guitarists Nick Barone and Mike Moody and by the time the first chorus kicks in, you catch yourself tapping your feet and singing along with lead singer Carson Macc.
Track two, “Young In Paradise,” perfectly utilizes keyboard player, Evan Mercer, who creates a more electronic vibe to the song. Despite the electronic vibe on song two, track three, “Sleep,” is deeply rooted in the Motown 70s vibe which is a consistent sound throughout the record.
Track four, “Ain’t Like You” is one of the strongest songs on the record. I can certainly see this song becoming a staple in the band’s live act. The chorus is catchy and is one of those earworm songs that you’ll be singing out loud for days.
The laidback Motown vibe continues with track seven, “Let It Slide.” It’s extremely refreshing to hear new bands break out on the scene and it’s even better when they go out of the normal and include a horn section like Mac Saturn did. Having a horn section was something out of left field but worked to their advantage.
Track eight “Boxcutter,” is a smooth song that’s easy on the ears yet has fans begging for the song to be longer than 4:33. The rhythm section of drummer Angelo Coppola and bass guitarist Ian Lukas create the perfect rhythm section that allows the rest of the band to incorporate beautiful harmonies.
As the record slowly creeps towards the end, Macc’s voice doesn’t get boring and fans certainly aren’t skipping any of the studio songs. On the final songs, track nine, “Get On The Phone” and track 10, “Plain Clothes Gentleman,” each song respectively incorporates acoustic guitars and bongo drums in the background. Hearing an instrument like a bongo drum is extremely refreshing. It’s certainly something out of the ordinary that you don’t hear very often.
The tail end of the record contains three live songs from the record that the band recorded while out on the road. “Diamonds,” “Ain’t Like You” and “Boxcutter,” all make a second appearance as tracks 11-13. Strategically, adding these three live songs was extremely smart. Mac Saturn was able to catch their live sound to an audience that might have not been able to see them live and attempt to lure them to a show on their current tour.
I loved the fact that there were three extra live songs on this record. It honestly felt like three “bonus tracks,” or tracks that appear on a band’s deluxe version of a record.
It’s extremely important for a band breaking out onto the scene to release a strong debut record which is key to building a stronger audience. In the case of Mac Saturn, they blew through the metaphoric roof on “Hard to Sell.” Sometimes listening to a relatively unknown band might be a venture off the deep end but it was worth every risk with the greatest reward.
No listener will be disappointed with this record and there is a guarantee that those listeners will become fans for life.
Rating:
9/10
Tracklist:
Mint Julep
Young In Paradise
Sleep
Ain’t Like You
Junkie
Mr. Cadillac
Let It Slide
Boxcutter
Get On The Phone
Plain Clothes Gentleman
Diamonds (Live)
Ain’t Like You (Live)
Boxcutter (Live)
Mac Saturn is:
Carson Macc – Vocals
Mike Moody – Guitar
Nick Barone – Guitar
Ian Lukas – Bass
Evan Mercer – Keyboard
Angelo Coppola – Drums
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
