The Red Flags – Supro Sampler
Tuesday 26 June @ 12:57:51 |
 
CD REVIEW
by GALEN WADE
The four-piece rock outfit, The Red Flags, is fronted by one-time Magnolia, Mike Leonard. Side note--after moving here from sunny South Dakota, The Magnolia’s Off the Hook was probably the first local record I ever purchased. And my interest in The ‘Nolias (as us fans referred to them) was bolstered by the fact that a guy in my summer session French 1102 class, worked at Kinko’s with a guy in the band. Whether Leonard’s C.V. includes a stint at the copy shop, I’ll never know. C’est la vie, mon ami.
Digression aside, Supro Sampler is a four song EP with bare production, and that’s a good thing. There’s a thin line between a DIY basement tape, and an over-eager Pro Tools producer, and this record walks it perfectly through all four tracks. “Matter of Time” is a Tom Petty-sounding jangler with equal parts “alt” and “country.” There’s a three-chord hook and “ooh ooh ooh” backing vocals on “See it Now.” A bright, up-front guitar doing leads on “Fear of God” is a nice contrast to the acoustic opening. And Sixties mod returns on “Sorry Look in Your Eye,” a Kinks-like romp bringing to mind Go-Go dancers hip-shaking in elevated cages. Go-Go dancers pre-date me, but I’ve seen old episodes of Laugh-In.
Individually, these guys are scene veterans. In addition to The Magnolias, each member has put in time with Skeleton Ed, Dumpster Juice and Busiest Bankruptcy Lawyers.
Collectively, they produce a raw punch in no need of layered tracks polished to a glossy sheen.
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