Common Saints – Equinox (2025)
No newbie to the music industry, London-based producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Charlie J. Perry has worked with artists like Olivia Dean, BTS and Jorja Smith; however, it is with Common Saints that he steps out as a solo artist. Easily capturing listeners with his evocative, immersive, and profound sound, Perry speaks to the core of human experiences in all its grit and glory. He first fully realised his sound in his 2024 debut album, Cinema 3000 – a “…14-track odyssey that cemented his signature blend of rich sonics, ambient soul, and emotional honesty…” Today, we take a listen to his most recent release, the EP Equinox.
Self-composed, recorded and produced, Equinox is a 15-minute (give or take) saunter through the rock sounds of the late 1960s and 70s. Opening with a folk-tinged rush of rock in ‘Firebird’, Perry introduces us to Common Saints’ immersive nature, holding our hands and leading us through a kaleidoscopic sonic forest. With bold drums and a soaring guitar, the road is steady, and our feet feel firmly planted on the ground in ‘Firebird’; but the waviness of a psychedelic haze wafts past your head in the following ‘Honey’.
‘Honey’, as the title aptly mentions, has the sincerity and sweetness of fresh honey dripping from each drumbeat, twinkling keyboard, and slice of guitar. The smooth vocals linger in the two-and-a-half-minute track, encouraging the Common Saints’ sonic warmth… then the title track hits. The chill of ‘Honey’ is evident, but ‘Equinox’ is simultaneously the head-turning rush of classic rock you hear when twirling about in a psychedelic haze.
For me, the final three tracks, particularly the title track, seem like songs from the Hair soundtrack. Soul-stirring and uplifting, it’s ideal to capture the wind of change in its multi-coloured sound seeping into your pores and leaving you breathless in its cinematic soundscape. I imagine Treat Williams and his crew twirling about in Common Saints’ ‘Supernova’ after finding some light in the film’s ‘Aquarius’.
Confident but tinged with fragility and delicate vulnerability. Powerful but veiled as subdued strength in the moving melodies. Hard-hitting and weighty, yet gentle and sweet, letting you glide along whimsy while offering profound depth, Equinox is an EP that captures the heart of…well, life. Perry explains:
“Equinox represents a meeting of the dark and the light – when the sun and the moon both appear in the sky. It’s a reflection of a period in my life that’s been both tragic and transformative – the loss of my father, and the birth of the Common Saints live show. This EP marks growth, transition, and a turning point for me and, I hope, for anyone listening.”
Find out more about Common Saints on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
