Labels: Red Red
Review by: Graeme Cunningham
This is a self released CD by Edinburgh based band Red Admiral. Their label is called Red Red Records. The artwork is red. The first song is called “raise the red flag”. Do I detect a theme here? I think so.
The aforementioned first track is possibly the best on this CD, coming across like an early Therapy? All quirky guitar parts and clattering drums. The chorus instructs us to “raise the red flag on Beverly Hills”, a noble sentiment, even if raising a Black flag would be preferable. Second track “Call centre” is an angular post-hardcore effort, similar to the sort of thing other locals like Eska put about. The vocals over the verse sound very Morrisey. In my book this is a bad thing.
Everything grinds to a halt on track three “evening of the day”. Which is quite frankly horrible. Acoustic guitar, with a helping of Harmonium to up the “yeugh” factor. It comes off like an irritating take on Badly Drawn Boy. It’s a fault they repeat with “I can’t say there’s anything wrong with that”another Morrisey vocaled dirge, then again on “we lost the war” and “la belle femme sans merci”. There’s a sort of Chemikal Underground style vibe to some of this. “Reign your fire down” is more up beat, building to a big finish. It looks at the declining fortunes of Christendom in the west. If being Christian makes your music this miserable, I’m not surprised the church is in decline.
There are a couple of more upbeat numbers like “Laura Palmer”, probably the other contender for best track, very much in the style of Shellac. But there isn’t enough rock in ratio to dreary introspection. There’s nothing wrong with desolately miserable music, but this doesn’t connect with me.