Papa Satch – Into The Grey (Album Review)

In today’s review, we will be graced by an act that has appeared on this platform before. Meet Papa Satch, a band from Long Island, New York. The band consists of Bob Sachnoff aka Papa Satch himself on the lead and backup vocals, Steve Ronsen on the guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and lead and backup vocals as well, and John Zych on keyboards. They’re now back with a full album, titled ‘Into the Grey’.

Bob writes the music and the lyrics for the songs, with Steve acting as the co-writer. Bob started his musical adventure as a participant of bands such as Black Horizon, OOlOO, Blank Stare and Mercy Hit. He was also an integral member of the band ‘Spoof’, and also contributed writing, playing and producing credits to the critically acclaimed album titled ‘Doggin’ It’ by the group ‘Actress’.

Steve Ronsen, on the other hand, is an award-winning music director who has played with the likes of Eddie Money and Charlie Daniels. He has also produced his own solo released titled ‘Everything’, playing and producing the entire body of work. That album met critical acclaim. He also has participated in a couple of his own bands, named ‘Quickdraw’ and ‘The Fast Lane’, and currently plays many solo performances across the Northeastern United States.

John Zych primarily contributes through his prowess in songwriting and expertise on the keyboard. With the three of them combined, Papa Satch has carved a niche by creating a sound of their own. If you’re unfamiliar with their sound though, they describe their sound as similar to the style of bands and acts such as Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, REM, The Lumineers and Neil Young. Their previous releases can be perused here.

I’d say, one of the biggest plus points of this album is the fact that it is very well-produced. All of the songs on the album have enough space for each element to shine, making it where listening to the album is not an offensive affair at all. In some instances, such as within songs like ‘Tell Me Something’, it truly is soothing.

The songs within this album are pretty ‘safe’ when it comes to the theme, execution and the way it sounds. I don’t necessarily hear anything experimental or too out there when it comes to the world of the avant garde. It consists of tracks that have a semi-predictable chord structure, and I can’t really say that it is excellent or horrifyingly bad. I don’t know if this was an intentional decision by the songwriters in the conception of this body of work, but this is my honest perception.

On the other hand, in an alternative perspective, the ‘safeness’ of the tracks within the album could definitely suit a person who’s into the type of rock music that doesn’t sway too much into subcultures- just enough ferocity to portray a message, but just enough familiarity to provide the listener with a decent groove. I’d say that’s the ultimate strength of this album, I could definitely see a dedicated audience tapping their feet and singing along with these songs.

With all that is somewhat predictable within the first half of the album comes the saving grace of the third quarter of the album, which gives more life into the compositional structure of these songs. It ventures into a slight campy mixture of ‘movie soundtrack meets next door adventure’, but it keeps you hooked with slight blues hooks and trills in the mid-range of its mastering, giving listeners something to look out for.

If you’re into standard rock music I think this is the album for you. It’s filled with feel-good grooves that are clean and easy to comprehend. Personally, I wish the tracks were less predictable and had more of an edge to them. That’s the only way one can truly add to the database of the entirety of music, by pushing the boundaries and creating concepts that no one has heard of. These bands may have influences that were the pioneer of their time, but I think it’s time that some of them take the baton and create a niche within their own genre. Perhaps a different technique, or a bit of fusion, it’s all up to the artist’s discretion.

Score/Good: ‘Into the Grey’ is a wonderfully mastered album with many feel-good and standard rock tracks that can definitely keep you hooked if you have a thing for this type of music. Otherwise, it does unfortunately fall flat with its predictable compositional techniques and execution. If one is satisfied with a grassroots fanbase this album is definitely stunning, but to be truly excellent, I think more work needs to be put into making the sound ‘unique’, and by the looks of it the artists in the band are beyond competent enough to achieve that. I hope to hear more from them.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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