The Great St Louis are a four piece from Bolton, Greater Manchester. Stay Right There is their third album, but the first one in some 16 years. The last one being In Your Own Time, released via Boss Tuneage in 2010. Where’ve they been? Not mega sure. John Dagger (vocals / guitar) spent time with the excellent Stay Clean Jolene (with members of The Leif Ericsson) but they’ve sadly not done owt for ages, either. Who knows what the others have been doing…
Anyway, I’m delighted that they are back, albeit with a minor line-up change. Ryland Minta (drums, also of Holiday and Propagumbhis) has been replaced by someone called “Simon”. Dan and Dunc are still here, though. Who is this Mystery Simon? I am sure the answer will present itself at some point soon!
I first remember The Great St Louis from when debut album Forever Now dropped. It was one of those things that at the time I was describing as the best thing ever, and I sold a copy to anyone who came in Roadkill Records that would listen back then. Put them on a bunch of times too, with The Loved Ones and then with Nothington? Maybe Lucero? I can’t remember, mate. It’s about 20 years ago. Great gigs, though.
How to describe them? Well, I recall “clearly” (might’ve drank a few pops that night) Dave Hause (The Loved Ones) saying to me something along the lines of “these guys sound like Leatherface, this is awesome”. I told him to buy the album. Did he buy one? Who knows.
I’d say that Stay Right There shows an evolution in the core sound of The Great St Louis. The key element of anecdotal storytelling remains, referencing scene local characters and friends that have passed on. The themes of regret, chagrin and remorsefully seeking forgiveness continue to shine through – hindsight is always 20 – 20, my friend.
The lyrics are somewhat confessional where you’d expect, and appropriately steeped in nostalgia like a stewing teabag when dealing with the aforementioned anecdotal accounts; it’s strong, with that sharp tang of bitterness you get one someone is genuinely laying it on the line. Think less heart-on-sleeve, more bleeding viscera nailed to a door. I also get this weird sense of self-quotation or self-paraphrasing, recalling The Great St Louis back catalogue; think the penchant that the Beastie Boys had for slotting in the odd couplet from earlier work, and self-sampling and you get the idea. It’s pretty smart if that’s what John is doing. Maybe I’m wrong and just wrapping myself up in it like a warm coat on shitty day…
Obviously comparisons to Leatherface and The Beltones are typically bandied about when discussing The Great St Louis, and people are quite right to draw those lines of connection both stylistically and spiritually. I always find this tricky as a non-musician, but compositionally I feel like the structures of the songs lean toward the bipolar emo / indie rock of The Weakerthans in places. Yet in others, I find myself thinking of the Southern-fried whisky and punk tinged Americana of peak Lucero. While the former are from the prairie-bound Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the other from arid as fuck Memphis, Tennessee, (with the caveat that I’ve never visited either) and both seem bleak, Bolton, Lancashire can at times seem like a metaphorical and literal wasteland. I dunno, maybe that plays into things here.
Otherwise, I’m put in mind of stuff like Billy Reese Peters’ album Almost Heaven (No Idea Records – as an aside, I can remember selling this to John in Roadkill Records) Grabass Charlestons and The Tim Version for example. If you add in the more stylistically accessible likes of RVIVR and Iron Chic, for me the equation is pretty much complete.
The result is a punchy, thoughtful album that perfectly captures the existential anguish of the mid-life period whilst flopping about in the slime pit of working class malaise I’ve been occupying for my entire adult life. As The Lawrence Arms once said: “Sleep all day, drink your life away; It’s another step closer to the comfort of the grave.” Drinking songs with shout-along choruses all twisted up with jaundice-tinted subconscious wailing and gnashing of teeth? Yep, they got ‘em in spades, mate. And I can’t really recommend it any more than that. Do yer sen a favour and have listen below.
Tony of Nurgle rating: 10/10
You can get this on random coloured LP from Brassneck Records or CD from Boss Tuneage
