Review: Sadie Hell's Magnificent Debut

It's hard to imagine that Sadie Hell has its roots in a handful of punk songs Ben Welland wrote a few years ago, often inspired by touring with his brothers' band, NOW. Sadie Hell at the time "wrote, jammed, and sweated alot" according to Welland but did not tour. But something was missing from these songs, and so over a few years he searched for more.

Eventuallly, the original, intense, compact energy of punk became unravelled into something much more complex and esoteric, especially with the introduction of strings and the like. Those songs, and several more, became Sadie Hell's self-titled debut. Coming from the focused energy of punk, it was as if a musical atom were split: an intricate explosion of sounds, some mellow, some raucous, some stunningly gorgeous - but all blending together to make a majestic record.

There is no label that can be attached to Sadie Hell: it's orchestral pop in parts, 70s era prog rock in others, folky at times, loudly expressive at others, a pinch of 80s synth rock, and intricate arrangements played at turns with sweet subtley and crazy clamour (and sometimes both). The sole (and soul) anchor to these varied styles is Welland's voice, an instrument on its own, always powerful and constantly stretched to match these different sounds.

It takes guts to pull off a record like this, and Welland has done it. The title track, "Sadie Hell", starts with Welland's voice, solo, powerful - a message to all that this is going to be the Sadie Hell record he wants, like it or not. Then we hear mellow plucked guitar, slight reverb, and expect a folky track. Then big drums, strings, horns kick in, and we expect an orchestral pop gem. Back and forth the song goes, peaks and valleys, a musical adventure through many sonic palettes. So many that, when you listen to Sadie Hell, you expect something to falter, a beat to be missed, an off note, a sour melody. There seems to be too much at stake. I could hear nothing like that: Sadie Hell hit the mark and more.

Normally when I review records I like to comment on all of the songs in some detail, recognizing they are parts of a whole body of work. It's very hard to do with this record: each song is painted with nuance, and worthy of lengthy comment on its own. Critics could easily think these tracks are a bit 'pretentious' given their length and incredible scope. But that would only apply if the effort was not realized, if the songs were not little gems. Welland's Sadie Hell go well beyond what could have been self-indulgent, setting down 9 (there's a hidden track at the end of the CD) perfectly realized songs.

"Sadie Hell" certainly stands out, setting the pace for the rest of the record. "Sadie wrote a letter to God, and wondered why he never replied" is an ominous start, but only underlines the operatic nature of the record. A sad song, for sure, but the desperation is magnificent, especially in the chorus "Said he wants to die!", (which later shifts to "Sadie wants to die!"), which is immediately flanked by a mellow horn line - a little touch of grace in a personal hell. The balance of the tracks contain similarly serious lyrics, all well matched by the power of the music. At bottom, Sadie Hell is full of ruminations on loneliness, hope, grace, and regeneration. Oblique at times, but always interesting, the lyrics match the forceful mood of the songs.

"Onward, Hop!" starts out very slowly, a mild guitar lick which expands over time, picking up steam until heavier guitars kick in, with vocals popping up fully half way through the song. Themes here include determination in the face of adversity, self-doubt followed by confidence, moving forward, all balanced with the joyful refrain of the track's title.

"Live the Evolution" is one of the few possible singles (more on that in a minute) - pretty guitar melody, gentle bass backing, horn refrains, all focusing on Welland's voice. The back up vocals here are simply lovely. This track recollects 80s pop brushed against the more modern guitar melodies of REM or Pavement. Amazing.

I've had Welland on my radio show and we've chatted in my office about his music. As a radio host, I am intimately familiar with the value of the 3 - 4 minute song: anything more risks not being played, or relegated to fringe hours on the radio. 6 of these tracks exceed 4 minutes, with 4 over 6 minutes (2 of them over 7!). In an era where easy playing is imperative, that sounds like career suicide. But there's more: when Welland released the record, it was on vinyl (with the CD as a bonus only). Now here's an artist with guts and confidence - entirely justified. As Welland said to me, "Sorry radio. These songs are for me." Except that we can enjoy them too.

The rest of the tracks on this set continue the orchestral, majestic themes, all with Welland's voice as an anchor holding the songs together in a cohesive whole. Each deserves to be listened to intently, and separately. "Pedestrians" is likely the mellowest of the lot, with slow melodic guitar throughout. "In the Fold" keeps up the mellow guitar line, with mild horns in support, all eventually hitting a more raucous plain but calming down again. After the pretty and brief "Stir In The Wings", the band returns to the wildly orchestral "The Wolf Can", moving from easy guitar to bellowing sounds and screamed lyrics. This song also has Welland appproaching a Bowie - like vocal sound. "The Wolf Can" nicely bridges the space between it and the title track, without losing sight of all the great songs in between.

Overall, Sadie Hell is an extraordinary debut, with a band setting its sights very high and achieving them and more. You'd be a fool not to find this record, and you may even be amazed that it was pretty well all created in Ottawa. And you should also know this: as I write, Welland and his band have played two recent shows in the Ottawa area: one to benefit sweatshop.org (to help folks who work in appalling conditions) and one to benefit victims of a fire in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood. Ben Welland and Sadie Hell are true artists - revelling in the beauty they create but also fostering whatever conditions might make life more beautiful for others. Thanks for that.

And stay tuned - Ben and I conversed in more detail via email about the band and its music; we'll have that information up later. For now, buy the record and enjoy. Oh - and the name? It was meant to be a play on an Ottawa neighbourhood, Sandy Hill. Ottawans draw your own conclusions.