 While listening to De Nova, the addictive breakthrough album from Chicago’s own The Redwalls, I found myself trying to hammer down a genre of music to put them in. Out of the gates it has a rockish feel with the band banging out the chords and Logan Baren partially screaming his rifts into the microphone. The kicker is that there is an unobtrusive medley of horns throughout both the first track and the album in its entirety. This is not your typical ska infused horn either. The Redwalls feature much more of a melodic, harmonizing horn section, adding a unique sound to their already difficult to categorize musical style.
“Thank You,†the hit single from De Nova, is a completely different sound than the more rock-like style already mentioned. What you catch on this track is an excellent use of background singers hitting a symphonious harmony. This accentuates the voice parts and the ease with which Baren climbs the tonal ladder to hit those unimaginably high notes that any common singer would love to be able to hit.
With their ability to go from hard rock to a gentler Indie Rock, you almost get a sense The Redwalls are going to be a bit like The Strokes. That sentiment is not echoed throughout the album though. During De Nova, The Redwalls are using blues influences in their music as well as pulling the piano into a number of tracks. I even think the vocals, with 3 of the 4 band members all contributing, take on a more 60s type sound and feel, meshing with the newer age music. You’ll even get traces of Pink Floyd in terms of a psychedelic feel from tracks “Hung Up On The Way I’m Feeling,†and “Front Page.†I have yet to start De Nova on the third roar of the Lion at the beginning of The Wizard of Oz…but I’ll let you know how that goes. You’ll find a strong association with folk music in “Glory of War, †and then they bring the rock back full circle in the final track ironically, or maybe not, titled “Rock & Roll.â€
The Redwalls have an incredible talent. They don’t restrict themselves to one music genre, even within the same album. If they continue to produce music in this fashion, and we’ll know soon with their next album Universal Blues, then they should be rocking and rolling, folking, Pink Floyding and harmonizing for many years to come.
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I apologize if I made it seem as though De Nova was The Redwalls first album, and sorry to imply that Universal Blues was yet to come out, I have not listened as of yet so I\’m am held in suspense so I hope to find out shortly. Thanks for the props!
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Comment by Ephron — April 4, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
Nice review. The Redwalls are truly addictive.
One thing to note: De Nova is the band’s second album. It is implied in the final paragraph of the review that Universal Blues is the group’s second album. It is not. Universal Blues was released in November 2005 by indie Chicago label Undertow. De Nova came out in June 2005 through Capitol Records.
A very fine review nonetheless.