Far From Saints deliver an outstanding debut single in ‘Let’s Turn This Back Around’. The new band features the talents of Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker from The Wind and the Wave and Kelly Jones of Stereophonics. It’s the combination of Lynn and Jones’s voices that stands out here: gorgeous tune, beautiful harmonies, great tone and texture and emotional delivery. The theme of lost love lends itself to the country-influenced sound, while the approach of taking turns to sing opposing verses like a heartfelt conversation is perfect for a duet. Lynn notes: “It was important to us to have both perspectives in that song.” Halfway through, as the pair repeat, “Let’s turn this back around,” the song is energised and elevated, drums and guitar kicking in and by the end we’re soaring. The change is reflected in the video, directed by Jones, in which the mood lightens and there’s a feeling, both sonically and visually of resolution.
AUK’s Helen Jones wrote passionately about the Americana credentials of Stereophonics’ first album here and, with that distinctive vocal, it has always felt like Kelly Jones has been waiting to release music in our favourite genre. Jones, Lynn and Baker first played together on Jones’s 2019 solo tour, performing a rendition of Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty’s classic ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’. Lynn and Baker were opening for Jones and during the tour, they began jamming and writing together backstage, blending their sounds and influences and creating enough new material for an album. Details of the debut album will be released soon and, in the meantime, we can absorb ‘Let’s Turn This Back Around’, a great first taste of Far From Saints.
