Photo Credit: Mark Sharp
Drawing influences from rock heavyweights Foo Fighters, The 1975 and Wolf Alice, Dundee based quartet, Red Vanilla release their debut EP, Days of Grey.
Recorded in Dundee alongside producer Kieran Smith, the band were clear what they wanted. A modern-metal sounding record. They wanted the drums to sound huge, and crisp guitars throughout. Debut track Embers certainly catches this emphatically. A slower, more refrained start to an EP, with Wolf Alice inspired vocals and infectiously catchy drum beats, this is not one to skip on Spotify.
Outside In captures the modern-metal sound the band are seeking. A faster tempo ensues and ferocious drums and guitars prove the perfect match for the energy Anna provides in her vocals. From the relatively reserved melodies of Oria, the unexpected power and explosive wall of noise on lead single All These Better Things is immense.
It’s clear this is an extremely personal record for Red Vanilla as Anna (lead vocals/rhythm guitar) explains: “We pour everything we have (time, money, energy, and everything in between) into this band, and this band only. Working day jobs to fund it all, and spending every spare moment rehearsing, writing, planning, preparing—anything that’s going to help us get where we want to be.” This hard work, emotion and fatigue is no more evident then on Velvet.
Final offering Detach brings a nod to Wolf Alice in both sound and vocal performance, and brings the varied, melodic and emphatically catchy EP to a fitting close.
An extremely well produced record which highlights the growing talents of a band at the beginning of an exciting journey.
7/10
Standout Tracks: Embers, All These Better Things, Velvet.
For Fans Of: Wolf Alice, Biffy Clyro, Paramore.
Written by: Ben Gilligan
