過去の12インチがいずれも当店で大好評だった21世紀のサイケデリック・ソウル・アーティストCommon Saintsが遂にアルバムをリリース！

Common Saintsのデビュー作『Cinema 3000』は、そのタイトル通り壮大で野心的なアルバム。温かみのある豊かな音楽性、映画的な感覚、ポジティブでスピリチュアルな希望が詰まっている。『Sweet Release』の70年代のサイケフォーク調ハーモニーから、『Sweet Surrender』での時間の流れを受け入れる歌詞まで、感情を揺さぶる構成が魅力的。

数年間にわたり自宅スタジオで録音され、Charlie J Perryがピアノ、ドラム、ギター、ベース、ヴォーカル、ダルシマー、パーカッションを担当（『Sweet Surrender』ではAlfie Templemanがドラムとギターで参加）。『C’est La Vie』は、The Rolling StonesやCreedence Clearwater Revivalを聴きながら過ごした夜に影響を受けたゆったりとしたグルーヴが特徴で、「自分自身に頑張り続けろと呼びかける」曲。一方、Morcheebaを彷彿とさせる『Dream On』にはフランス人シンガーTaloulaがヴォーカルで参加し、『Pieces of War』では、Perryが喉の炎症を逆手に取り、荒々しい感情をそのまま歌に込めた。

A1. Sweet Release
A2. Sandman
A3. Dream On feat. Taloula

B1. C’est la Vie
B2. Celebrate
B3. Activate
B4. Dreams

C1. Blackbird
C2. You are Beautiful
C3. Idol Eyes

D1. Rebel Paradise
D2. Utopia
D3. Sweet Surrender

Common Saints’ debut, ‘Cinema 3000’. A record as vast and ambitious as its title might suggest, it takes the hallmarks that have come to define the project - warm, luscious musicality; filmic sensibilities; positivity and a grounded sense of spirituality and hope. It’s an album with a considered point of view, both musically and lyrically; one designed, from opening track ‘Sweet Release’’s ‘70s psych-folk nods and multipart harmonies to closer ‘Sweet Surrender’’s acceptance of the passing of time, to really make you feel.

Recorded over a number of years in his home studio, with Charlie J Perry playing piano, drums, guitar, bass, vocals, dulcimer and percussion (with a little help from Alfie Templeman on drums and guitar for ‘Sweet Surrender’), ‘Cinema 3000’ is audibly the work of someone in love with their craft, creating the music that they want to hear. The loose grooves of ‘C’est La Vie’ act as “a call to yourself to just keep on carrying on”, influenced by nights spent sitting around listening to The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, while the intoxicating Morcheeba-esque ‘Dream On’ features guest vocals from French singer Taloula ‘Pieces of War’’s raw, rasping vocals, meanwhile, might sound like a wholly different voice but are actually Perry, taking advantage of a bout of “wonderful laryngitis” to record the song in its most pained form.