Saffron Sect - A Reflection

I have a reputation for hyperbole when it comes to bands that I like but forget I told you that because I am now telling you that Toronto’s Saffron Sect is the best band in Canada…

or at least the most relevant…

or at the very least the most important.

When I saw them on Saturday night at Casa they played as a four piece and opened with a Renaissance song that featured instruments like autoharp and the kortholt. With the miracle of instrument switching we got to hear mandolins, acoustic guitar, sitar, flute, violin and more. Ok, you’re thinking I’m praising a band for its novelty but what they do in the space of one set is make connections between 800 years of music while making it immediate and meaningful: the renaissance, celtic folk music, indian influenced 60s psych, and indie freak folk are all presented seamlessly with each genre melting into the next with no apparent break.

Most bands I divide into one of two categories

1. Pretentious attention hungry fuckwads

2. In it for some pussy or cock

Saffron sect is neither, this is the rare indie band that exists because they have something to say, something to sing, something to share. This is a band to remind you why you like music.