Texas is thriving. Maybe not quite on the same level as Sweden or Canada, but they have the distinct advantage of being countries. Recent releases from Philip E Karnats, Pilotdrift, The Polyphonic Spree and forthcoming albums from the female Patrick Wolf (St. Vincent) and those wonderful Sprees far outweigh any negative attention the state may garner for much less serious matters than indie rock. For more than a month, local hooligans Red Monroe have been residing at the top of the album charts of the musical Mecca that is Good Records. And praise be to Allah, for it's an extremely good record.
A swirling glaze enshrouds the album but each of the eight tracks break out of the seamless blanket to scratch their own signature on to the listener's ears. If Secret Machines were set on fire and told to allow escape to as many 3 minute pop songs as possible, something like this might pop out. From the standout gang holler of A Return To The Old Way Of Thinking to the Tripping Daisy-esque sprint of Carolina Cigarette, Red Monroe exert a 29 minute long force strong enough to soundtrack a fight to the death between Newton and Paschal and thumping enough to deliver the final blow.
Fingertips
Carolina Cigarette
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