Common Sage’s sound feels like a modern take on the melodic side of Post-Hardcore with a strong influence from the legendary Long Island emo scene. When these dualistic stylings are partnered with dissonant, cacophonous riff-storms, the band sounds something like Quicksand and Title Fight dancing a delicate ballet. This is no doubt a very calculated and deliberate musical high wire act, and it’s not something that can be accomplished by a band that have not done their due diligence. Herein lies the secret to Common Sage; it’s less of what they choose to put on the canvas as artists, but more of what they choose to hold back that shows the true nature of the band. While something such as a simple three chord breakdown could have served them greatly in the short term—the band opts for much more artful choices, making veteran level structural decisions that you would expect from innovative songsmiths like Modest Mouse or mewithoutYou. It’s easy to see why industry pillars like Geoff Rickly and Steve Pedulla of the band Thursday or Jason Gleason of Further Seems Forever were quick to lend their talents and to the bands new music. This is why it is so fitting that Sage, a medicinal herb, when burned is used to cleanse the air of all its impurities. One can only hope that Common Sage can accomplish something similar within their genre, clearing out the staid tropes of the past and making way for something new to appear out of thin air.

The Van Pelt, Common Sage, Caithlin De Marrais

The Van Pelt

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