Bright Young Things

Leaving a successful band always comes with risks. In the case of Coleman Sawyer, the band in question was Stop Light Observations, and he stepped away from his role as bassist in 2015. “I felt burnt out,” he says. “And I really didn’t play music at all for about a year.”

But then a friend asked Sawyer to do a gig. He holed up in his room and wrote for a week. “That first show was just me with an acoustic guitar and a kick drum,” he explains. “But there were a lot of friends in the audience, and it felt very natural.” Buoyed by the positive reception, he jumped back into his art with both feet. Moving to guitar and lead vocals, he pieced together a new band, Rare Creatures, that includes Hugh Camp on bass and synthesizer, Logan Crank on drums, and Aaron Reece and Keller James on guitar.

Next month, they debut their self-titled freshman album, comprised of an impressive set of originals. “After the Fall” is a gorgeous three-quarter-time tune that benefits as much from the group’s rhythm section as it does from Sawyer’s strong singing, while “Gudda” has synth flourishes and a tempo that impart a futuristic R&B feel. “Die Young” is written from the point of view of late rapper Lil Peep; he was fascinated by artists who “live fast, die young” (as the song’s chorus goes) and passed away himself last November at the age of 21. Standing out as one of the album’s best tracks is “Youth and Truth,” which starts at a simmer before exploding into a genuine rocker that will shake the foundation of any venue the band plays.

This month, that venue is The Royal American, where you can catch Rare Creatures at Summer Shindig on June 30. Watch for more show announcements at rarecreaturesmusic.com.