V2 (label)
21 January 2013 (released)
13 January 2013
What a US tour it must have been last year for Brighton duo Blood Red Shoes to coax out this epic rock creation that moves away from their usual pop-punk writing style. Only ever seeing glimpses of true punk-rock angst in their recorded material (‘Je Me Perds’ on ‘In Time To Voices’) it obviously felt like the right time for Laura-Mary Carter and Steve Ansell to unleash some pure rock and roll fury in the form of this short EP.
‘Water’ represents a moment of spontaneity for BRS; breaking away from their usual partnership with producer Mike Cossey (Foals/Artic Monkeys) and choosing to record with John Congleton (The Roots/Walkmen/Explosions In The Sky) in his studio in Texas straight after the last show on their US tour. It also differs considerably from their previous album which was very much the development of their sound, extremely focused, with every aspect of the record deliberated on. As Steve Ansell states “the songs [in Water]are much looser, faster and less considered than ‘In Time To Voices’ and we wanted to capture that feeling and not make it too perfect”.
The beginning to ‘Red River’ hits you like that unsuspecting first scare in a Wes Craven film with the proceeding fuzz-distorted guitar riff clearly stating ‘Water’s intentions. The immediacy and weight of the EP for me is defined in ‘Black Distractions’, which lasts only 2.40 minutes and whose break-down section could have been pulled straight from the Queens Of The Stone Age back catalogue. Final track ‘Idle Hands’ closes the EP well with softer, more anthemic vocals from both Ansell and Carter but retaining that heavily distorted guitar sound and crashing drums that are dominant throughout the EP.
Overall I feel ‘Water’ captures the band’s recent inspirations well and their desire to make a record that differs from their last. The fact that BRS are only releasing 500 physical copies of ‘Water’ on 10” vinyl shows that this EP was only ever meant to be an impulsive project that broke away from their usual style.
‘Water’ is set to be released on vinyl and for download via V2 on 21st January.
