EP REVIEW: SCARLET DRIVE – ECHOES OF APPREHENSION

Shane | 20 December 2018 | Reply

EP REVIEW: SCARLET DRIVE – ECHOES OF APPREHENSION
Independent
September 2018
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7 ½ /10

Any band who defy convention and deliberately straddle multiple genres, boldly going where few have gone before, are a joy to listen to – though a nightmare to write about.

Scarlet Drive are different. This isn’t four-on-the-floor pub rock, metal, grunge, punk funk, indie, reggae rock or heavy jazz, but there are fleeting elements of all these things throughout this fascinating and – if you’re willing to try something different – enjoyable EP from the young Perth quartet.

Spanning six tracks, you might be reminded of a shadow of Frank Zappa’s jazz fusion, System Of A Down’s staccato machine gun indie metal assault, Parliament’s wilful obstinacy to conform, Rage Against The Machine’s defiant trail blazing, or a punky insistence that they can do whatever they like and that’s that. Or not. I suspect every listener will have to form their own opinion – like I said, a nightmare to write about.

It may take a few listens to fully appreciate the aural assault, but Scarlet Drive’s sheer technical ability to write and perform the likes of Sad Robot, Abusement Park (killer title) and If I is damn impressive, and their hooks will latch into your ear-holes if you give them half the chance. I can’t wait to hear what they do next.