Red-sided Garter Snakes - Endless Sea

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 8 / 9 / 2015

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Review

The Red-sided Garter Snakes is the new project of former Chameleons guitarist guitarist Dave Fielding and drummer John Lever, along with a succession of guest vocalists including Steve Wilson, Paul Den Heyer, Greg Matthews and ex- Puressence vocalist, James Anthony Mudriczki who sings on two tracks. Shape Your Spine’, which opens the album and has Wilson on vocals, haunts from the offset, coming over as very Eastern and mystical. Fielding's guitar breathes all over it, sounding doomy, gothic and magnificent. ‘Crack in a Paper Cup’, the first of the tracks to feature Mudriczki, is more commercial, but its vocal delivery hints at both that of father and son, Tim and Jeff Buckley. ‘Feel Alive’ is sung by Mary Joanna Coogan, the daughter of Martin of the Mock Turtles. It is exotic and Eastern and jangles well while Joanna’s vocal is strong and seductive. ‘Love Yourself' is almost an anthem. Sharp acoustic and lead guitar lead the way, and it hints at the flag waving days of long gone Britpop. ‘Found Again’, which features Greg Mathews, reaches for the stars, and becomes increasingly soul searching, hypnotic and engaging as it moves along. 'Gallipoli’, the second of the tracks to include Mudriczki, has a different feel and, dark and heavy, is like a Gothic version of the Who. ‘Go Away’ starts off as a bitter, acoustic number but concludes in a haze of swaying electrc guitars. ‘John's Dream’ is a drum heavy instrumental with a Will Sergeant–influenced guitar line. ‘Pistols at Dawn’ is a dance heavy number with loud guitars all over it. ‘Trancer’, the closing number, is a hypnotic and lush instrumental number. A fine return which provides an unexpected delivery of styles.

Track Listing:-

1 Shape Your Spine
2 Crack in a Paper Cup
3 Feel Alive
4 Love Yourself
5 Love Yourself
6 Gallipoli
7 Go Away
8 John's Dream
9 Pistols at Dawn
10 Trancer

Band Links:-

http://trsgs.tmstor.es/