Saturday Night
is the solo debut of
Ought
lead singer and guitarist
Tim Darcy
. (Formerly known as
Tim Beeler
, he legally adopted his mother's maiden name in 2015.) It was recorded in Toronto rather than in his group's base of Montreal, and features backing vocals and drums by Toronto singer/songwriter
Charlotte Cornfield
. The album gathers songs of a more personal nature than were fitting for his band's fierier post-punk disposition, with a few actually predating
. Not that
is a sullen acoustic-guitar record; rather,
Darcy
is more reflective here, sometimes channeling early solo
Lou Reed
and sometimes wandering into more experimental meditations. The opener, "Tall Glass of Water," is an infectious burst of raw, skittering guitar and drums with
questioning the state of the world and our state of mind ("Is it rain or is it toxic fire?/Is it love or is it desire?"). Similarly, "You Felt Comfort" feels like a basement live show with its quick tempo, limited number of churning chords, and overdrive. He's more restrained on songs like the spare piano ballad "What'd You Release?" and "Still Waking Up," a sauntering, melodic ditty devoid of his usual punchy delivery, opting instead for the spirit of
Roy Orbison
. The title track and the instrumental "Beyond Me" have more experimental sounds, such as shrill, bowed strings and dissonant improvised piano. The latter closes
on a note of chaotic melancholy that seems to capture the spirit of the album's lyrics even without any of its own. ~ Marcy Donelson