Red Star Line - Red Star Line

by Jonjo McNeill

published: 22 / 7 / 2005

Label: Pronoia Records
Format: CD

Likeable, but marred first album from new East London band Red Star Line, who include Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes and Rage Against The Machine among their influences

Review

Citing their influences as Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes and Rage Against The Machine, Red Star Line are the latest band to emerge from the overcrowded East London scene. This, their debut album, promises to build on the success of their first single ‘Centerville’, a track widely (and wrongly) likened to the Stone Roses at time of its release. The band mix razor-edged riffs with pulsing bass and disco beats to create something akin to the Music’s style of play, and it works well most of the time, most notably opening track ‘Commercial Suicide’ and ‘Rewards For Informers’. This, however, is a flawed record – it seems to be a work in progress for the most part. Songs like ‘Piranha Lounge’ and ‘Please Stop/Don’t Stop’ sound like demos, and the aforementioned ‘Centerville’ is very weak sounding; like the rest of the album suffering from a lack of dynamics. Singer Tim Crosby doesn’t sound like he has found his voice yet, which is a pity as he does show potential. The most exciting aspect here though is the rhythm section, with bassist Colin Lomas and drummer James Rixon sharing a good understanding of each others playing. This could genuinely become a great partnership to look out for. This is a refreshing release, not fitting in with any of the current trends in rock. Red Star Line, however, may not have been ready to release an album. That said, they do show a great deal of promise, and with a tad more work on the songwriting and vocals, they may well have something worth looking out for.

Track Listing:-

1 Commercial Suicide
2 Katabatic
3 Please Stop/Don't Stop
4 Black Meat Parlour
5 Rewards For Informers
6 Centerville
7 Pure
8 The Plan
9 Piranha Lounge
10 Dead Man Driving