If you’re looking to discover the perfect compilation of honey smooth sounds just in time for upcoming beach days or BBQ parties, look no further. I’ve found it. The soundtrack to your summer should be the 7-track EP, Bridges, recently released by Flashing Red Lights. Although one can’t help but wish there were more than 7 tracks, a listener couldn’t be happier to hear that Mack Slevin has finally taken time to channel his talent into his own masterpieces. Usually serving as a member to numerous local LA bands (Darci Cash, The Absentee, The Ghost Kings and more), Slevin’s solo work gives us sweet summer treats with his intricate guitar playing and intimate songwriting that obviously and easily come to him.
Even though this is an individual project for Slevin, being a part of a variety of bands has its advantages. To help him concentrate on this project, a plethora of his musical friends support him for a full sound. Creating an all-star back up band with Jason Wrightman (guitar, banjo) and Mike Hendry (guitar, lap steel) from The Absentee, Zach Schrock (drums) from Casxio as well as Ben Welch (bass, vocals) from Darci Cash, Flashing Red Lights pleases multiple fan bases.
With an opening track such as “The Big Idea,” Flashing Red Lights hits us like the first day of overwhelming but pleasant hot heat. Fun and light, it first presents us with lonely sparse lyrics and a banjo picking introduction and then halfway through explodes into a full cohesive sound as a band. The EP includes other upbeat tracks which are as addicting as spotting fireflies. “Endless Salt,” which makes you envision a hyped up lead singer requesting the audience to clap their hands (although I don’t think Slevin would actually demand such a cliched act), involves a catchy bass line later splashed upon with keys. The first lines, “panoramic joys of the flesh and bone/too much to feel,” sets up the perfect storyline. Then there is “Kid Stuff,” a tune packed with infectious drumming and harmonica solos to boot.
However, what surprised me most was the gorgeous guitar solo in “Lucky,” courtesy of Sam Fowles of The Parson Red Heads. With a repetitious and hypnotic introductory hook, the track is exponentially mind blowing as Slevin and Fowles harmoniously work together. Other tracks which run more along the lines of pairing up intimate guitar and vocals are “Two Crimes” and “Mouth Full of Fleece.” Although a bit more stripped down, lyrics such as “We dance and sleep on our feet,” are more than satisfying.
With influences such as Death Cab for Cutie, Ryan Adams and Wilco washing over our audio senses, Bridges is an amazing amalgamation of indie pop and folk rock. We knew rock had an honest side but, to be sweet and yet not so sweet that you want to gag, is a fine line that they manage well. Combinations of hand claps, lap steel and banjo strumming never fit together so well. Overall this CD is a major accomplishment and I hope to hear more from these guys soon.
If you wish to get to know Mack Slevin a little better, there is also CityZine’s interview which we had the pleasure of doing with him a few months ago.
***For those of you who have missed Darci Cash, they now have a new EP titled Three Hands . So don’t you fret - no matter what group they may be in, these guys are always churning out fresh top-notch music for fans.
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1 response so far ↓
1 loren // Jun 3, 2008 at 2:52 am
this cd blows me away! i keep changing my mind on which song is my favorite because they are all that good.
i can’t wait for that full length, something tells me it could be one of my favorite for the year.
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