Artist: Red Monroe
Album: Self-titled
Genre: Indie Rock, Modern Rock/Alternative, Rock/Pop
Rating:
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Red Monroe is not from Texas’ best-known music town. Perhaps this has served them well, as their eponymous debut is one of the freshest sounding rock albums in recent months.

The Dallas band’s release has an urgent, baptismal vibe, water and birth popping up frequently in the lyrics. Singer Eric Steele often sounds just short of desperate, and ends up with solid authenticity in his voice. The country-surf rock guitar blends amazingly well with complex keyboards for an original, graceful mess of sound. Most of the songs have dynamic, heavy rhythm parts to push them along. “Blue Mountain Air” starts with a pretty, arpeggiated guitar part, drops a foreboding bass note about halfway through, and builds to a thumping finish. It blends seamlessly into the next track, “Wild Eyes, Part 2″ which declares “there’s a heartache moon at home tonight.” Into the third minute, Red Monroe drops into a groove overlaid by bell-sounding keyboards that is a standout awesome moment on the record.

Although maybe not completely a theme album, there is a thread that runs throughout. It is gritty, tarnished and distinctly southern without being at all country. The lyrics are poetic but not wordy. Instrumentally tight but able to maintain an edgy energy, Red Monroe manages to create a cohesive sound without conforming to pop structure. This is an exciting debut from a band to keep an eye on.

- Review submitted by Amanda File.

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