Redbeard.North. EP is the brand new release from Alexanred and it’s a great listen that will really stick in your mind. There’s a fresh and organic quality to the music, and what’s especially good is that there’s a clear progression from the outfit’s prior release Always Active.
Whilst Always Active was a release that immediately grabbed your interest within less than a minute of hitting play, Redbeard.North. EP is different in the sense that it’s more of a slow burner that takes a few listens to properly get into. The songs don’t quite have those big hooks that pull you in but that isn’t necessarily a problem as the EP is very much a grower and with each listen, you end up loving it more and more.
There’s a great raw and almost rough-and-ready feel to the EP and a particular highlight is Necessary Impermanent Isolation. The vocal approach on this one is especially strong; the stripped-back sections with nothing but sparse instrumentation to back up the clean vocals works very well, and then in the thicker sections the vocal delivery changes to represent this, transforming into a half-yelled, half-spoken style and it adds a lot to the atmosphere.
As a whole, Redbeard.North. EP is an excellent little listen and is massively addictive! This isn’t an EP you can listen to once and then forget about – after a while it gets under your skin and will end up rattling about your head for hours on end. Certainly not bad for a four-track release!
8/10
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