Phil Saachi is a musician/singer-songwriter/producer & teacher living in the wonderful city of London-by-the-sea, otherwise known as Brighton. This city has long been a bolt-hole for Londoners seeking sun, sea and possibly a more sedate time away from the big smoke. Musicians might find a quieter, more productive life and an environment where songwriting sits comfortably with the occupation of enjoying what life has to offer. Phil has certainly found a happy balance if the 11 tracks available on his new long-player are anything to go by.
Following a global trip last year, Phil was able to explore the world and on his return has co-written this with a host of fellow musicians, now sharing these experiences on ‘Sun Come Up‘. The album is introduced to the world, kicking and screaming, by the menacing ‘Time Bomb‘, where Phil cuts a heady guitar as he recounts this tale; tick-ticking away, like a time bomb, played to a menacing back-drop, with the music searing and swirling around the listener’s head. After this onslaught of sounds, the album then goes down several gears into ‘You Gave Me Gospel‘, something that seems almost autobiographical as the artist describes what might be a recount of his life; “You gave me my voice, you gave me love, you gave me everything you’ve ever got and I’m singing through you.” An awkward moment may be considered part way through this, but as the song is saying; you …”don’t have to be a slave to sing, music is love and comes from deep within.”
However you might have looked upon these songs, they hold many moments that speak of life, be it Phil’s or our own and their accompanying arrangement is something that alone is worth the miles. From what appears to be a mostly self-played affair, this may make us all find one of our deadly sins – that of envy! Surely most of this record must have been at least considered before the artist’s globe-trotting, and simply 12 months of travelling could not have been squeezed into these 11 numbers. With influences from Nirvana, to The Sex Pistols and finally, the qualities of John Coltrane displayed on ‘Now and Then‘, who, as a musician & teacher, Phil Saachi must consider some kind of mentor.
