Flood of Red – ‘Leaving Everything Behind’ (Dark City)
CD Reviews
Written by Johnny H
Wednesday, 11 November 2009 17:06
When Uber Rock hit the web back at the end of August, one of the very first CD’s we got through our (Elder cover) door was by Airdrie alt/pop rockers Flood Of Red, and that sneak peak track ‘Home, Run (1997)’ was indeed a mighty fine stab at crossover angsty pop/punk, that I had on pretty frequent rotation.
So, when the band’s album debut ‘Leaving Everything Behind’ came knocking at our URHQ bronzed knocker in early October, I immediately offered to take the beast on.
Now, I’ve overun this review deadline by over two weeks (the album was actually released on 19th October) trying to ‘get it’, but just like Mansun’s ‘Six’ album, I don’t think I ever will ‘get it’. And as I can’t see anything remotely abhorrent about ‘Leaving Everything Behind’ then likewise there really isn’t anything on here that makes me piss my low-slung punk rock pants with joy either.
That’s not to say there will not be loads of people who will get this immediately so I’ll get on with the story.
When Flood Of Red decamped to Baltimore, Maryland in January of 2009 to record at Brian McTernan’s (Cave In and Converge) Salad Days Studios, their vision was always to expand away from their screamo roots and paint broader musical landscapes that they hope will take them to new areas of success and critical acclaim.
Of the fourteen musical landscapes that make up ‘Leaving Everything Behind’, ‘Home Run (1997)’ is still the track that stands out like a shining beacon of twisted melancholy with more than a hint of Deftones in the mix. Elsewhere you get elements of ‘Synchronicity’ era Police melding with the more mainstream guitar pop of Lostprophets or The Blackout on tracks like ‘The Harmony’ and ‘Paper Lungs’. Perhaps it’s Jordan Spier’s lilting Scottish vocal delivery that loses me, but tracks like ‘The Heartless And The Loving’ verge maybe a little too close to Travis twee territory at times and I cannot help but think that what may be a possible USP in other countries, might be as equally career limiting in the UK.
‘Leaving Everything Behind’ is the sound of a band moving on and finding themselves, it is also a complex and engaging listen, but it leaves this listener scratching his baldpate wondering exactly what he is missing.
Answers on a postcard please to the usual (Elder door) address please.