Hidden away in the shadow of Wincanton, Somerset, dark indie trio Blood Red Rose have been routinely releasing new music for years, championing their DIY approach and eclectic rock sound through countless demos, singles, and albums. Since forming in 2019, the group of Paul Stiling, Kim Kendall, and Luke Hiscock has been delivering a raucous blending of indie rock sounds that is criminally under-appreciated.
After last surfacing on our radar with the release of their raw, but charming album ‘Four’, Blood Red Rose have returned in a massive way, delivering a string of new material, demo releases, and their latest studio single, ‘Light Fades’.
Whenever you dive into a new release from Blood Red Rose, you can never be sure what space on the indie-rock spectrum has inspired them, and on ‘Light Fades’, it’s a textured, haunting blend of gothic rock and new wave alt-rock. Drawing almost instantly connects with The Cure’s more avant-garde singles, it’s a track that shifts between sombre indie tones and more explosive, guitar-driven elements. As with all of Blood Red Rose’s releases, it’s a song that never settles, constantly keeping you engaged as it jumps from languid soft rock and shoegaze elements to more rough and ready rock sounds.
With Paul taking his usual position on vocals, guitar, and production, the song has a very organic and cohesive feel, possibly losing some of its edge where his vocals weaken, but overall, it’s cleverly balanced, with the music coming back strong time and time again. Cloaked in the band’s usual lo-fi charm, ‘Light Fades’ is a reaffirming return from the band, showcasing their unique and wonderfully experimental approach to songwriting.
In recent updates on their website, Blood Red Rose has shared that they’re working on new material, and ‘Light Fades’ is surely a first expressive glimpse into that new work. As they’ve said in the past, they’re a band not looking to reinvent the wheel, but to add something new to the mix, breathing new life into a timeless sound of electric guitars. sing-along hooks and stomping drums.
Rather than being another of your ‘typical indie bands’, Blood Red Rose’s latest single shows that they are still willing to experiment and explore their sound, proving more than ever, that they’re a band in a league of their own.
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