For those who have been following our page over the last few months, one band you’ll definitely be well acquainted with is Blood Red Rose. An enigmatic and wonderfully nostalgic indie three-piece with an impressive ability to conjure up dark shades of yesteryear, Blood Red Rose have become one of the most prolific new bands around, releasing a trio of albums and a seemingly endless stream of critically acclaimed singles over the course of the last twelve months.
After previously impressing with the release of their two previous records, ‘Reflections’, their dark and stormy debut, and ‘This One’s For You’, their emotive and wonderfully immersive sophomore effort, there almost seemed no more ground for Blood Red Rose to conquer, but today, with the release of ‘Moving On’, the band have proved there is still so much more on the horizon.
A nine-track album that was preceded by a couple of stellar singles, ‘Moving On’ offers another glimpse into the unique creative space that Blood Red Rose inhabit, taking lead from their indie origins and expanding into more old school rock sounds. Right from the start, you can hear that things are going to be different, and the album opens onto a triumphant stream of melodic rock, channelling light blues, tempered grunge, and psychedelic vibes in ‘Hey Dorothy’. It’s a disarming first track, and it sets the tone perfectly as the albums rolls on, building momentum with the cathartic shoegaze anthemics of ‘Moving On’ and the cutting guitar anthem of ‘Sunday’. Two wonderfully atmospheric pieces that lean heavily on textured dream pop, they’re a bold and brilliant trio that showcase Blood Red Rose’s more upbeat and hopeful sound.
In ‘Past Ghosts’ and ‘Still Alive’, the band channel Joy Division and Josef K, delivering a melodic post-punk sound that drags you back to the early ‘80s, which ‘Take My Hand’ and ‘Vanity Stares’ double as a growing, shoegaze pairing that build to a complex cacophony of sounds. Blending ambient tones with jangling indie-rock melodrama, the songs break like crashing waves. For the final track, ‘Seven Billion Souls’, the album takes an unexpected, but ultimately welcomed turn, with the closing number standing apart thanks to a more rapid tempo, swirling, rustic tones, and calling vocals reminiscent of The Way on Drugs or My Morning Jacket. It’s an impressive twist, and it closes the album on what might well be the band’s most uplifting moment so far.
Something of a dark indie trilogy, Blood Red Rose’s albums have all arrives with their own character and style, something that has developed gradually as they’ve grown as a band, and as artists. While their debut was simpler and more jagged, the band have slowly been able to step away from their influences and create a more unique sound, one that has seen them confronting and overcoming obstacles, and finding their own piece of freedom.
An expressive and cathartic third album with a very fitting title, ‘Moving On’ is unique to the band and wonderfully poignant, standing tall as a testament to what you can achieve with enough passion and determination.
Score: 9/10
Connect with Blood Red Rose,
