Review of Butterbean Crypt EP by Cinema Red and Blue

Nostalgic and psychedelic, 'Walkin' To The Cemetery' opens the Butterbean Crypt EP with a dated musical feel that reeks of The Doors/The Who. The track sounds' Hammond organ with scuzzy guitars and simple repeated chord sequence over which heavily reverbed vocals echo, even a simple guitar solo. After the vocalist introduces each member of the band, 'Walkin' To The Cemetery' concludes with a quote of Chopin's funeral march. 'Gentle Wandrin' Ways' sounds a very similar blend characterised by echoing lead vocals flanked by a lick-heavy guitar blend. In terms of contemporary comparisons, Cinema Red and Blue sound in the rough around the edges vein of The Coral, with the raspy, masculine edge of the likes of The Vaccines and Viva Brother, but their influences are far more rooted in the 'sixties and 'seventies. Pace is the only thing that keeps 'Gentle Wandrin' Ways' from monotony because again it's a simple repeated progression with little melodic variety; even the later solos are lost amongst a constantly busy mix so the blend comes across as more self-indulgent musical rambling than structured soloing.

Cinema Red and Blue Butterbean Crypt EP


With a picked guitar introduction, 'As Pure As The Freshly Driven Snow' heralds more of a gentle blend but the track continues to be merely sluggish and bland. The EP's concluding track 'Memory Grave (Recalled From The Crypt)' then returns to the pace of the opening tracks but similarly lacks in variety and interest; the blend remains flat throughout with all instruments chugging on the same level during the whole of the track, and indeed pretty much the whole EP. A disappointing effort.

Hannah Spencer


Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/cinemaredandblue

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