There is a rich flame burning away in the Potteries, and it goes under the name Red Spektor. The UK trio are poised to release their self-titled debut EP, a blaze of psychedelic, stoner, and classic rock which fascinates as it engulfs ears and imagination, and unrelentingly thrills as it provides further evidence that heavy and fiery British rock ‘n’ roll is heading towards a fresh heyday.
Hailing from Stoke on Trent, Red Spektor emerged at the end of 2012 drawing on inspirations from the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. Once the threesome had honed their sound, they proceeded to hit the live scene with swift success, sharing stages with bands such as Carousel Vertigo, Attica Rage, Texas Flood, and Lawless along the way. Every step drew more eager ears to their growing fan base, accelerated by festival appearances whilst the band never letting a week seemingly go by without igniting a venue somewhere. 2014 saw the band record and release their EP via Bandcamp, a 5 track encounter recorded live and straight to tape over two days. Now it has its full digital unveiling and it is easy to expect Red Spektor stoking up a new wave of close and acclaiming attention.
The band draws on essences of “dark pre-war blues right through to the British blues explosion of the sixties and the heaviness of the seventies albeit with a modern and dirty twist” according to their bio, a mix swiftly seducing the senses and igniting the air through EP opener Hard To Please. A lone vocal guitar awakens instant attention, its rich spicy lure soon joined by a solemnly brooding bassline and crispy beats as the song quickly settles down into a feisty tempting. The guitar of John Scane virtually dances across the senses, every riff and hook incendiary and leaving a sultry residue like the trail behind Marvel Comic’s Ghostrider. Vocally he has a mellower but no less potent air, clean and alluring against the sizzling of blues/psyche invention and Rob Farrell’s dark basslines.
It is a seriously gripping start quickly backed by the slower, more intensive presence of Transcending. The thick and freely swinging beats of drummer Darren Bowen cage ears and anticipation as an almost melancholic bass coaxing prowls; both sparking swift appetite for the song’s impending offering. A sinister seducing comes with the enterprise of the guitar, and indeed vocals, as sixties and seventies sounds collude with a modern creative rapacity to bewitch and crawl over the listener. The track is a relentless smoulder rather than the blistering eruption of its predecessor but just as persistently magnetic and irresistible.
Third song Everywhere puts a higher gear in motion for its rich persuasion of blues rock; rumbling and strolling along whilst melodic vapours intoxicate ear and air alike. Rhythms cast a dirty tempering shadow and compliment to the searing enterprise, keeping the psychedelic croon earthbound as once more the band has attention bewitched. The exploration of the dirtier textures within the song continues with greater focus and revelry within the next up Redemption, Red Spektor tapping into the purest vat of blues distilled rock and adding their own not exactly unique but certainly distinct flavouring to another transfixing and highly enjoyable proposal.
The song probably does not quite match those before it though, whilst all of the songs before also find themselves in the shadow of the glorious closer Earth Mother. From its first beat and eager riff, the track bursts into a masterful and virulent swagger. An anthemic and delicious groove leads the way, courted by similarly lively and bold rhythms aligned to a throaty bass invitation. The song relaxes a touch in urgency as the vocals add their easy persuasion to the mix, picking its knees and tempo up again between verses and around the fiery enticing which subsequently seeps from every melody, hook, and resonating bass groove. As across all songs, Scane’s solos just burn their way into the psyche, but it is the overall swing and insatiable tenacity to the song which helps it take best song honours.
Many like us missed the Red Spektor EP first time around, and indeed the band’s emergence, but its new full digital unleashing ensures there are no excuses now in not exploring band and sound. No excuses only rich rewards.
The Red Spektor EP is digitally available from May 18th via all online stores.
https://www.facebook.com/redspektorband http://redspektor.com/
RingMaster 17/05/2015
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