DEADLIGHT RED - Deadlight Red CD Mini-Album
The opening track from this 7-tracker debut offering from Dundee's Deadlight Red, shows you just why they're a force to be reckoned with when it comes to songwriting and arranging – you've got texture, depth, dynamics, strength, delicacy, power, attention to detail – the works!!
“Bones You Break” starts with a whisper of sutained guitar before the crispness of an acoustic guitar strums its way in as the singer enters with an initially quite husky but strong vocal, asa distant swirling organ line revolves behind only for the rhythm section to break in as the electric guitar line rings in the background and the singer increases the strength of the vocal as it all lifts off into the chorus, added harmony vocals and a lilting piano lotif added for extra layers to provide even more depth. Then, via a brief surge of electric guitar, the rhythm section pounds into action, the guitars gather strength, the keys provide a massive expanse, the vocal and harmonies take off and the whole song lifts off like a rocket in slow motion, the organ coming to the fore as the guitars build, the vocals fly like an eagle and the skies are filled with sound on one almighty combination of song, instrumental texture, muscle and magic, only for it all to dissolve into nothingness and fade in a hail of cyclical notes, a truly breathtaking arrangement of a great song. If the previous song had elements of U2 and Fleetwood Mac to it, “Photographs” modernises the best that the “Rumours”-era Mac threw at us – it starts with ringing guitar chords as the lighter but still strong male vocal soars against the twangy, phased guitar as the drums march in, the bass runs underneath, they disappear then return as the song strides forward, a second guitar lead echoes and then the whole thing launches into the chorus with a huge sound only for that to dissolve into a classic Fleetwood Mac rhythm, as piano melodies are heard running alongside, duelling with the delightful guitar leads on the verse, only for the whole band to gather strength once more on the chorus and then it's off into a brief Buckingham-esque guitar break, a huge instrumental flight of great depth and texture, before returning to the song for one last flight – stunning!!
At this point I should also mention the songs themselves – lyrically rich in story-telling and observational magic, delivered with a vocalist who oozes emotion and feeling from every pore, the vocal range from low and rich to high and hi-flying, always in control, always strong but with a kind of almost fragility to it as well, very much like a Scottish answer to Bono of U2 in many places along the way.
“Broken Beats Basement Bars” starts with the spiralling restraint of guitar and bass chords, as another emotive vocal enters above it all, the crispness of the percussion comes into play with delicacy, flurries of piano chords are heard and the song unfolds. A synth line comes in for added melodic texture as the song's intensity slightly rises, then the drums crunch in and the song rises, bouncing along as the organ adds extra strength to the crash of the rich instrumentation and then the whole thing launches, via wordless choral vocals on top, into a huge and mighty chorus, before the band erupt in their own fashion and the wave of electric guitars, organ, bass and drums foundations all drive ahead on a surge to the finale. “When Will We Come Back Down” mixes indie rock-out with ballad to a degree that's jaw-dropping as the hi-register vocal and piano provide the delicacy of the song next to the guitars and rhythm section providing the heart of the hurricane of instrumentation, again, the mix of the aforementioned influences in a contemporary indie blender, laced with added strength and wondrously emotive delivery from singer and band. “Best Of Me” gives us another great song, this time the strength of the mid-paced offering infused with a great series of instrumental hooks and a huge chorus that really takes hold and sticks in your head, arguably the most memorable song on the mini-album so far in commercial terms. But what is really staggering about this song and its arrangement is the way the band change the instrumental background literally every few seconds, without once sacrificing the flow and enjoyment of a truly great song – guitars, keys, come and go, the rhythms rise up and subside, the musical scenery constantly changing, but all the time you're hooked to a superb song that ends in an equally commanding guitar break as the band end with force. “Paranoid” starts with the band “rocking out” as the CD's most powerful track really cooks and the band and vocalist roar into a one mighty song that surges along with the electricity and intensity of a city at night, the guitar work really heated, the riffing muscular and powerful, the rhythm section hammering down and the keys providing this huge depth and texture, particularly on the sections where the band reach melting point – a real adrenaline rush of a song to end the CD – only it doesn't. For there is one more track – a “bonus” 7th track in the form of “Can't Stop The Sound” - almost ending things as they began, with a song which is like a fairground ride set ot music as it goes round and round on waves of delight, the stumbling rhythms, organ swirls and shining, ringing guitars propelling the emotional vocal delivery on a song that rotates between delicate verses, towering choruses and a tornado of electric guitar-driven instrumental work – once more, and finally, the band showcasing their amazing attention to detail, incredible arranging sand writing skills and yet another gem of a song – and like the best sets of songs released by any band, this is timeless stuff that will sound as good in 10 years time as it does now.