Red Painted Red – Preach EP
Limitations of popular music are sometimes apparent far too prominently. Red Painted Red’s modest music directly lives in the mid-90s Bristol Trip Hop scene. Initially released as a stand alone EP, Preach is a swirl of discreet loops and drum lines. Co-conspirers Yvonne Neve and Simon Carroll previously partook in a band called Mantra, and that directly produces imagery for the variety of music on offer here – rhythmic, patient, overtly emotional trip hop lines that echo tones directly from Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop’ with Neve’s vocals sounding like a sarcastic observational Kate Bush. The title track itself, for example, closes the record with sampling that wishes to evoke an impassioned protest, but coupled with Neve’s unnecessarily dramatic, contrived vocal tones makes as listener feel far too aware of how the track is supposed to make you feel. It all seems like a tired and overused idea, and though it would be rash to immediately dismiss Preach as premature revivalist nonsense, it is unimpressive at best.
By Viraj Mohindra
I think this review tells more about the inadequacies of the reviewer above anything else. To compare this work to a loose trip-hop/Massive Attack genre, shows a very limited terms of reference and an obvious lack of any deeper musical knowledge. Interesting to see that there is little web presence for this reviewer post this review.