When I first listened to the debut EP Lines from Chicago quartet St. Bagu, I was drawn in by its fresh approach to mixing hip-hop with progressive and dreamy rock guitar melodies. Then, as I traveled through the six-song EP, a sense of confidence and urgency drew me in further to its bold blend of melodic rock and consciously spiritual rhyming.

Throughout Lines, St. Bagu wages war against the doubt, uncertainty and the status quo of everyday life. On “Wonder Years” and “How Long”, the band battle the big questions using a confident and enlightened swagger guided by peace, love, and honesty. And never do they sophomoricly claim to have life completely figured out. Instead, on tracks like “Simple” they gaze towards Heaven’s eternity to keep a grip on reality and avoid getting wrapped up or discouraged by the setbacks and frustrations of life on planet Earth.  Lines is a strong step forward for a band that is currently making its way through Chicago’s independent music scene and I’m looking forward to hearing more from them as they continue to play live and get ready to release their next set of songs.