Red Umbrella

How do you describe an album that, while enjoyable, doesn‘t stand out enough to warrant being called a “must hear?” The proper word could just be, adequate. Take, for instance, Red Umbrella’s new album, Living & Surviving. There are plenty of catchy songs here and the album as a whole is pretty fun. They’ve made a step forward from their previous album, though they still have work to do to make their music more memorable. As enjoyable as the album is to listen to, there just isn’t anything that really seems like a classic or must hear song.

That isn’t to say that you should avoid the album; on the contrary, most people will find that there’s enough here to warrant at least borrowing from a friend. Most of the catchier songs, as with their debut, are stacked in the first half of the album. The first song, “Prison Side”, actually gives a false impression of what is to come, as it first sounds like a poor man’s Muse, but without the anthemic nature of their rockers. It’s lyrics are decent, opting to tell a story rather than just give us the message, painting a picture of a man trying to run from his crimes and harkening back to Jesus‘s words with the line, “Who am I to throw the first stone?”. It’s a decent start, but doesn’t quite have the momentum to get the listener really excited about what’s to come.

“Forest Fire”, would have been a stronger way to start the album, with its jumpy beat and guitars being used to create a counter melody to the vocals. The lyrics are a call to break out of routine and to “Burn like a forest fire“, wild and untamable, but they’re done well enough where they’re more memorable than one would expect. Other standouts include the infectious “Intervention” and “Living & Surviving”, the former of which has “hit single” written all over it.

However, there is also the weirdness that is, “Boompop”, which has a synth-pop influence, and even a full on rap verse, which comes out of nowhere then vanishes. The song doesn’t really come together into any coherent form, as the vague hip-hop references don’t fit the band’s style. It just falls flat after a tedious few minutes. Another weird moment comes from a cover of, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”. It’s unexpected, but unlike the previous odd moment, this one actually works for the band, as their update of the song is strong and doesn’t simply retread the original, instead adding their own touch to make it a memorable experience.

Something must also be said about Jeremy Michaelis’s vocal ability. It’s actually not bad, despite not being anything classic. He can be commanding when he wants to be, such as on “Crazy (All Of Me)”, though for the most part he seems content to be in standard pop/rock form. There’s nothing wrong with sticking to what you’re comfortable with but it does lead to songs that sound so melodically similar that they can be confused with each other, though this is less of a problem on this album as it was on the last one.

Overall, the weak points on the album are few and the main problem is just that there’s nothing special or compelling about it outside of some strong hooks. It’s a decent, middle of the road pop/rock album that anyone who likes Oasis, Muse, Fountains Of Wayne, or any band of that sort will be able to enjoy without guilt. It probably won’t convince anyone who wasn’t interested beforehand, but for anyone who just wants a fun musical experience, this is certainly worth a listen.

Tagged as: Living and Surviving, Red Umbrella

↓ One comment

#1 Aaron on July 28th, 2009 at 8:54 pm

While I enjoy this album, I agree with your rating, Bren. I’m a big fan of Red Umbrella but this album is definitely not as good as the first release.

Does it Resonate with you?

Name

Email (will not be published)

URL