Saville Grow!

You don't need me to tell you that pop in all its worst incarnations has assumed a dominant position in our popular culture. It s horribly apparent in all the Celtic Chic sycophancy that greets any old shite that an Irish pop group puts out. If I hear one more person say "sure fair play to them, they're making loads of money!", I'll personally ram the entire Beatles' back catalogue up their arse.
Once it is surgically removed from their back passage they can listen to the Fab Four and learn. Then they will realise how the concepts of intelligence, articulation, style, panache and emotional honesty apply to pop music at its best. Subsequently, this re-birth of taste will in turn contribute to Coolock quartet Saville being recognised as the finest new pop group in Ireland.
Before you think I'm championing another bunch of underground unsung heroes then consider why Larry Gogan chose Is Anybody Happier Today? as his album of the week and played it on a daily basis on national lunchtime radio. This is a recommendation from a man who knows better than most what makes great pop music great.
Singer and songwriter Ken O'Duffy identifies the clever keys to Saville's vision. "The poet Lorca lectured on The Theory of El Duende. El Duende is what makes all creativity special. He used the example of Ignatico Espeleta, who was said to be as handsome as a Roman tortoise," explains Ken. "On being asked why don't you work? he replied why should I work? I am from Cadiz . He embodies an alternative form of living. He was a poet and until now a mere footnote in the work of Lorca. The man's name should be in lights! He was the kind of person that supposedly had no place in current society. The kind of person who would still be looking for a record deal."
"The sleeve of the album says the same thing in a more direct way," continues Tosh Flood. "Everyone surrounds themselves with instruments and possessions, and the fortune wheel on the cover has things like 'Matching Volvos', 'Personality' and 'A Life' on it. The title track asks the question whether anyone is happier through these acquisitions."
"But its important to realise that we are not polemical, we have such fun with these things!", stresses Ken. "We have made a pop album in the sense that it is about popular culture and we'd love everybody to listen to this record. I'm often conscious of coming over as too literary or pretentious, but we are looking for the enormous fun in things! On 'Dancing Stars' we are rewriting the history of the cosmos. Stephen Hawking s account of the brief history of time says that in an ever expanding universe the stars will be cast aside. We refute that. The sun inspires creativity and gives birth to dancing stars. We sing on that song: "The city has no sense of wonder . . . it sours the milky way". You never ever see the Milky Way in Dublin! You have to go down to Carlow to get away from all the glare from the city lights. People haven't seen the Milky Way around Dublin in at least fifty years! We have lost all our sense of wonder and possibility and subsequently a sense of fun. If anything, we would love to make a listener rediscover that wonder."
Another fascinating character that pops up in the musical world of Saville is 'Dandy Damned'.
"Lorca wrote some very sad poetry about his fear of not being ready to confront death or tell people that he was homosexual. He had far too much to give life before he died, it s just very sad. The last verse goes: "I'm a dandy debutante/six years growing and I feel its starting over/I'm a dandy damned and I'm damned if I care." I suppose from our own point of view it s a reference to being together as Saville for six years. It s been very difficult at times, but every time we write a song we feel fantastic.
We've survived without any management, and the best thing about that is that every little step has come from people liking us rather than someone ruthlessly pushing us on people. All brilliant original music always came from the street, in many ways it doesn't matter about playlists and people being 'exposed' to your music. If somebody tells someone else that they really like Saville, well, then that is all it should be about."
Whether they're going to be the next big thing, or not, misses the point. If you want a pop album that simultaneously challenges convention, pokes a little fun at love, life and the universe and enriches your everyday life then get your mits on Is Anybody Happier Today? Whatever you think about their theory of giving birth to dancing stars, Saville have given birth to a lovely collection of twelve star-crossed songs.
At the time of going to press, Is Anybody Happier Today? Is available from Comet, Road, Freebird and Tower Records with nationwide distribution being sorted. If your local store does not stock Saville then contact [email protected]