The Red
Burn LP
The title of this self-released concept album from The Red comes from several different places. The burning desire of love; getting burned by a relationship; the fact that their studio (and this recording) almost got lost in a fire and finally because, if you get hold of this album, you’re going to end up burning copies of it.
Strange as it sounds, The Red have put this album in the public domain – producing three-thousand copies of Burn to distribute for free. All they ask is that if you like it, you burn copies for three of your friends and ask them to do the same (‘Burn it Forward’). So, will you like it enough to run off copies for your mates?
The Red are a three piece US band that play an acoustic led rock with subtle instrumentation and strong vocals, creating songs that compare to Mick Jagger’s ‘Goddess in the Doorway’ album or various combinations of Damien Rice, Coldplay, and Keane.
The album starts with ‘Want’, an up-tempo track with creative drumming and harmonious vocals. This song has all the qualities of a great pop track and this quality runs throughout the record.
A more laid back approach is taken for ‘Tell Me’, with its break and build approach after each chorus, while the mid-section contains some rather sweet love songs that neatly fit with the burning desire side of things. My personal favourite, ‘Run’, has a really tight chorus and an attention grabbing verse, what an absolute classic!
The Red seem to like mixing up the slower and faster tracks, which avoids any ‘slow section’ to the album, although the combination of ‘Love, Fear, and Levity’, ‘Dreaming’, and ‘Broadway Brazil’ could arguably constitute the ‘Ambient Section’.
This is a record of American rock songs and love ballads, which means slick production and high quality recording. However, this particular disk finds itself right in amongst the sound that is filling the more alternative side of the Top Forty at the moment and will hopefully bring The Red the recognition they deserve, even if they don’t get a penny from it!
In the true spirit of things, I too will be burning three copies of this record to send to my friends.
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Written by Fenton on
