Beyond the Drone (Bonus Track Version)

Delicate Steve's guitar explorer, Steve Marion, moved on over to drums so guitarist Christian Peslak could have a solid backbeat for the songs they wrote together one stormy weekend in rural New Jersey. As Saint Rich, the two multi-instrumentalists often sound like they’re having fun, a result of musically serendipitous projects. The mood here was simply right. Whereas Delicate Steve is primarily an instrumental project with a strong experimental streak, Saint Rich is a vocally strong, song-oriented project where a tune like “Dreams” even shares a touch of its hook with The Kinks’ “David Watts.” Peslak plays around as the lead vocalist, never better than on the organ-heavy “Officer,” where he portrays a snotty young kid taunting an unhappy tough-guy cop who appears to be performing his job unethically. There are a variety of pop approaches here, yielding such satisfying tracks as “Young Vultures,” “Crying from the Home,” and “You Ain’t Worth the Night” (complete with mock power ballad lead guitar lines). It sounds like this side project could go full time.