By: Victor Van Ommen
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 22/1/2016
Label: Listenable Records
What makes
Mars Red Sky so good, is that they effortlessly walk the line between heavy as
hell and light as fuck. “Shot in
Providence” opens things up with guitars that are heavier than we as fans of
the band are used to and for a band like Mars Red Sky, who excel at writing
fantastic songs that balance heavy and melody, this is a daring step and it works
really, really well.
Providence” CD//DD//LP track
listing:
Side A
1).
Shot In Providence
Side B
2).
The Homesick Deaf
3). Sapphire Vessel
The Review:
I’m not a
fan of EP’s. They’re too short. Such is the case with Mars Red Sky
and their new EP “Providence,” out on January
22nd. That’s in two weeks. This three song outing doesn’t
even begin to scratch the itch I have for another full-length by this band. In
fact, it makes me want to scratch more.
“Shot in Providence” opens things up with guitars that are heavier than we
as fans of the band are used to. But to think that Mars Red Sky
has only touched up their guitars would be foolish because the rhythm section
here plods along with lead feet while pushing out a swing that is easy on the
ears. And this is exactly what makes Mars Red Sky so good –
they effortlessly walk the line between heavy as hell and light as fuck.
Side B is
where Julian Pras and his cronies take to a little bit of experimentation. EP’s
can be used as a vessel for a band to explore the outer reaches of their sonic
scope without the commitment needed to fill a whole album or “change their
sound.” And that’s exactly what Mars Red Sky does
on “Providence.” They use side B
exclusively as a fine time to mess around, offering the listener a mix of
a live recording, field recordings, and an extract from their live show “Into the Mars Red Sound.”
There’s a
particular chemistry at work here that I have never heard in Mars Red Sky. On the surface, random sound clips are
accentuated by heavily strummed acoustic guitars while a string section swells
in the background. For a band like Mars Red Sky, who excel
at writing fantastic songs that balance heavy and melody, this is a daring step
and it works really, really well. And to think, this is merely a sober
description of what is happening in the music without describing
at all the feelings it conjures.
The EP is
limited to 500 copies. If you’re a fan of EP’s then I’d suggest heading
to the Listenable Records store and picking one up.
“Providence”
is available here
