Back on track announcing the band’s third album, “Not Quite There Yet”, which also marks the new partnership with the well-respected Iberian DIY label Meritorio Records, the Madison, Wisconsin-based Red Pants, the DIY band we had already talked about at the beginning of 2022, led by multi-instrumentalist and composer as well as head honcho of Painted Blonde Tapes imprint, Jason Lambeth, along his longtime collaborator Elsa Nekola on drums and now steadily on vocals.
Clearly influenced by the noisy and fuzzy guitar-driven sound of the 90s paired with a refined emotive melodic sensibility, whilst at times a certain healthy minimal dose of Post-punk restlessness and retro-futuristic electronica sheen through, the first preview, “Witching Hour”, somehow nods to the slightly harsh, fidgety pop abrasiveness of Sonic Youth’s late 80s/early 90s period, to which the band infuses distinctive brooding layers of mystique and allure.
Conversational lyrics that convince another to relax, come out and enjoy the strange night.
Steadily bouncy and rolling, cymbal-brushed, drum beats throb in unison with urgent skittering and chugging guitar riffs fringed by subtle edgy dissonances, to extricate scratchy sheets of billowing shimmer, along with tantalizing sinuously warm bassline, pulsing through the buzzing affected cracks, whilst angsty, dreamy layered vocals draw nervous breathes of moody anticipation from the musky abrasive mystery of the “Witching Hour”.
The immersive visuals, scratched and manipulated by Tamara Kesy and edited by Jason Lambeth himself, blend warped colour filters and scribbly line embellishments over vintage childhood adventure footage, to manifest the daring, supernatural thrill vibes of the soundtrack.
Red Pants’ third album, “Not Quite There Yet”, is slated for release, in ltd. coloured blue Vinyl 12″ & Digital formats, on October 27, 2023, via Meritorio Records. Pre-order here.
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