Review Summary: A diverse yet focused offering from an up and coming English band.
Scarlet Creek are 4-piece band from Birmingham, UK, making alternative rock blended with brooding indie and a dash of punk. The Birmingham music scene is currently known for it's diversity; while mainly dominated by pop-punk, indie and metalcore bands, many soul, reggae, funk and folk musicians are held in high regard here. Scarlet Creek manage to keep their heads above the water by drawing elements from some of these genres to keep their music fresh, while combining it with a steady rock sound that allows them to be enjoyable.
(This EP was recorded when the band was a 5-piece.)
Next Time kicks off the CD with a rock steady chord progression and a funk inspired bassline that calls to mind The Stone Roses. While it is a solid tune, the bog-standard lyrics ("And I keep wondering/When is the next time i'm gonna see you again") hold it back, and one can't help but feel that the singer doesn't really fit musically with the dark background. However he does have a very impressive range, and this contributes to a soaring final chorus, complete with a driving drum beat and a modified lead guitar line not seen anywhere else in the song.
The second song, Iambic Red, is easily the best. It revolves around a bleak, finger-picked riff, with various new elements being added as the song goes on, doing away with traditional rock structures. The song steadily builds in urgency, while the singer delivers lyrics that far outstrip those found in Next Time ("Those golden locks/And pretty frocks/That paint his town in June"). The crescendo comes suddenly, an epic blend of loud, tight rhythm section and an intricate, delicate solo made even more impressive by the spot-on production. The song comes full circle by returning slowly to the initial riff. Nothing is out of place here, and this song proves that Scarlet Creek have a hell of a lot more to offer in the future.
The final offering is the short, punky Vultures, led by it's catchy bassline that forms the backbone of the song. The raw energy displayed here is quite a far cry from the mid-tempo verses of Next Time, and this song in particular is a staple of their live show. The lyrics also differ dramatically; here you can expect intelligent lyrics about the subject of dictatorships rather than relationships ("Red Crosses and broken flagpoles/Never made much sense to you/Four letters and fields of carrion/All of your false right to undo").
All in all, it's a solid effort which shows that the band have a lot of scope to produce something amazing; all they need to do is find their signature sound.
