Saturday Night is the debut solo album of Tim Darcy, lead singer and guitarist of the Canadian post-punk band Ought. This album is rather tame compared to Ought’s releases, which one could expect just by looking at the ’70s soft rock-esque album cover. Darcy stares at us with his legs crossed in front of a beautiful blue backdrop, evoking a calm restraint rather than the intensity of an Ought album. It’s hard to label this album because throughout the album there are songs that range from vaguely folk to vaguely experimental. The excellent opening track “Tall Glass of Water” is a simple, danceable, Velvet Underground-esque rock and roll track. “Tall Glass of Water” is enjoyable but unfortunately sticks out compared to the rest of the record. “Still Waking Up” is another highlight with strong and prominent guitars but reflects the slower tempo that dominates the album. The inclusion of a wide range of songs confuses the album’s overall tone; intriguing at one moment and then losing the listener’s attention as the album wanders to new territory. Darcy‘s vocals often have a lot of reverb which mellow out and sometimes obscure his non-sensical to poignant lyrics. The lyrics are integral to the emotion of the album while Darcy‘s smooth delivery allows his vague and nihilistic lyrics to be digested. Apparently Darcy recorded it at the same time as Ought’s second album utilizing spare studio time during nights and weekends. The albums feels like it’s in a haze at times, maybe like in the stupor of the night. The title Saturday Night sounds so promising, but perhaps reflects a disappointing Saturday night. It starts off exciting and has its moments, but it won’t be a Saturday Night you’ll remember forever.
– Daniel Easley