The Red Paintings - Rain

Sun 1st Aug, 2004 in Music Reviews

The Red Paintings have built themselves quite a name as a stage act to behold, not because of their music (in fact, far from it) but the involving performance art that is their stage show; audiences members painting murals on stage, evocative costumes and choreography… none of which can be accurately captured on CD.

Rain is the band’s first serious attempt at recording and it shows. Their sound is very mid-90s post grunge, single-note piano and thick overdriven guitar competing with a violin over a steady bass. Think a less over-produced Melancholy-era Smashing Pumpkins without the charismatic voice (but the occasionally silly, always pretentious lyrics are there!) and the occasional out-there keyboard part. This stuff screams mid-90s. If you’re looking for variety, this would be the wrong CD for you.

The three original tracks and remix blur all follow pretty much the same verse-chorus-verse-crazy instrumental formula. When I say crazy instrumental, I’m not kidding, the song Rain ends with what can best be described as tribute to the War of the Worlds musical following a passage of heavy guitars and rapid violin. The guitar-violin combo is particularly effective however and makes Rain a refreshing listen, if nothing much else. Rain is best taken as a promise of good things to come from The Red Paintings.