IndianRedLopez

IndianRedLopez brings out Commit, an earnest collection of sophisticated electronic pop. Opener ‘Any Given City’ has synths that chime like a carousel and the vocals are charmingly shared by a male and female duet. ‘No Longer Dying’ has an urgent ticking percussion line behind its arpeggio keyboard sounds and ballad-tempo vocals. The difference between the expansive vocal line and the jumpy rhythm creates an interesting and affecting tension in the song. ‘Core’ shimmers with its electric piano base being surrounded by a variety of synthesized samples to give it an other worldly twist. Its heavy-hit snares surprise and hint at a pop influence. The title track closes the album with its vacillating synths and metallic guitar twangs, which build gradually to expand into a dance-infused pop anthem. Commit will appeal to lovers of indie electronica because of its thoughtful delivery and pop palette. - Whiteboard Project

IndianRedLopez – Ropes

Blending cool electro sounds with an indie rock sensibility, IndianRedLopez are one of the most exciting bands in the North East of Scotland right now. Ropes is a truly excellent song, starting out small and unassuming before erupting into something really quite powerful. As brilliant as they are on record, though, IndianRedLopez are a band that need to be seen live: their blend of huge, sprawling sounds and big-screen visuals is truly a sight to behold. - The Guardian

How IndianRedLopez have managed to stay under the radar for this long is incomprehensible – the Aberdeen locals have been compared to Mew, Interpol and Spiritualized for starters – but that’s all set to change with Commit, the quintet’s second LP.

Arriving two and a half years after their debut full-length, Empty Your Lungs And Breathe, the five-piece are leaving behind their post-rock/indie soundscapes (of which Idlewild would’ve been proud to call their own), for their surreptitious mistress, electropop. There’s always been a synthesised core to the group’s sound, but instead of cowering behind six-stringer crenellations and towers of droney noise, it’s gormlessly grinning front’n'centre like a really, really happy puppy.

As Commit dawns with “Any Given City”, the Mew comparisons flare up. Lead vocalist Mike Chang’s Scottish twang bears an uncanny resemblance to Jonas Bjerre’s dulcet pipes, which is heightened against the female harmonies. The distorted sci-fi indie-pop sounds, sprawling and floating as if gliding through the cosmos, are chilled-out enough as to feature on Frengers. It’s like a lost B-side from the perfect album (so, if it’s not clear, that’s one of the best things that can happen ever). Swiftly bulleting onwards, “Taking A Fall For Me” is all icy synth and piano stabs above gravel-flavoured post-punk basslines. It’s oddly nu-metal sounding, which is more strange than anything – it’s super high-energy trauma, which sets the mood for the majority of the record.

Where once oceans of guitar, swaddled in pedalbard FX, would serve as a solid basis, IndianRedLopez have opted to careen down electric boulevard this time around. Commit‘s a lot more reliant on synthesisers to form the bulk of the record. They’ve always been a bit fond of drum machines, and now they slot in a lot more easily, rather than jarring against the overly organic axe riffery and grizzled bass. The overall tone and ‘feel’ of their music hasn’t altered all that much, and it still feels like the same band, but the methods they’ve used to reach this point are different. Guitars and rock instrumentation is still frequently stumbled across, but the shift in focus from natural to electric is instantly obvious.

“At Night I Dream Of Stormy Seas” is drenched in maudlin vocals – it pulls towards emo territories (is this what post-emo sounds like?) – but is a prime example of their timbre shift. Glittering pads and coiled synth strings blur with haggard bass grumbles. Electro-rock ditty “Life Back In Me”, sounding a tad like Linkin Park in their Numb era, is another glaring example. It’s all glossy, emotive keys and trance-lite motifs.

They do venture towards their rock roots though: “Signal Novice” is industrial pop, with clanking rhythms and dark hooks, the title track (with a vocal line uncannily resembling “All The Things She Said” by t.A.T.u.) is similarly brooding. Guitars noodles with metal technicality, there’s whirring chords and walloping bass notes. It feels mechanical, but not particularly electronic.

With the amount of in-your-face earworms, the kind that’ll dig trenches and cement themselves into your brain, and sublime choruses being displayed proudly on Commit, it beggar’s belief that they’ll remain underground heroes for long. This is pop music, plain for all to see; their post-rockier beginnings aren’t exactly going to turn people off, but when you’ve got energy and hooks blaring out like air raid sirens, it’s kinda hard to avoid them. IndianRedLopez do have a siren-like record here, in both senses of the word, and you’d be a fool to think this is anything but a launchpad of a record. - The Line of Best Fit

'...It’s not often I hear a debut album that sounds this accomplished – the production is impeccable, and every track could easily be released as a standalone single. I’d suggest you keep a close eye on these guys, as I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up making a lot of noise on the UK music scene over the coming months.'
PanicDots - PanicDots

I'm surprised this album got a public airing. With record labels becoming more introverted and risk-averse, anyone would think that all they want is the next pop sensation. So it's with thanks that Cease|Stop have backed IndianRedLopez with this, their debut effort. As a far more eloquent man than I once said about this sort of music, it's dance music you can rock to, and rock music you can dance to. That's a fair analogy, although this guy was talking about the legendary Crystal Method.

There's more of a guitar leaning to this Scottish five-piece, who are building some momentum in their native country. That should continue with this first full-length. Opener '1881' is a deceptive instrumental, bringing you in before roughly careering you into the standout 'My Eyes'. This starts off as a piece of pulsating IDM before settling for simple, subtle lyrics. It's quite a unique proposition, with only a band like The Music offering a suitable comparison. There's less angst than the Leeds outfit though, and it makes for a slightly more focussed sound.

'K.Y.S.' starts from the ashes of track two, and almost had me thinking that Chris Rea had lent a guitar riff for them to build around. He hasn't, but there is a warning about the song, pleading with the listener to not do anything rash. It's good to hear that whoever is providing lead vocals (the press release lists four of them) doesn't lapse into faux-American and sticks with the Scottish. It lends something different.

After 'Ropes', the rest of the album loses it's reliance on "ooh, that sounds nice" instead showcasing their songwriting ability. It isn't clever but doesn't pretend to be, with tracks like 'The Third (Incision)' and 'The New Black' showing that they can just straight up write. Like an underrated boxer, this is pound-for-pound, one of the better albums so far this year.

There's a slight relapse with 'Of Intent', which has sweet-sounding Megaman-esque stabs interloping within the drums. It's there that I thought of the phrase J-Emo, but that's too shallow a definition. There's a lot of depth shown by the band and it isn't just one angle of attack either. 'Strobe Lights' is a slow burner, with the band smoothing the edges of their aggression without losing their bite and ability to personalise their lyrics to whomever happens to be listening. At over five minutes, it doesn't help that it tended to repeat itself a bit. Same with the long fades on a few of the songs. Are they necessary all the time?

It ends on a positive note. 'Our Empire' begins discordant and develops into defiance and positivity. Catharsis perhaps, couched in Temper Trap style imagery. It's a really nice note to end a superb LP on.

IndianRedLopez are soft electronica with a jagged percussive edge, countered by sometimes pleading, sometimes positive vocals. There's no real drawback to that style of music, especially as they seem to be able to mesh types and genres to create a deep arsenal of bespoke weaponry that will stun, enthuse and perplex us. Were it not for a few tired devices and the odd anonymous song, this would be perfect. - Room 13

Opener ‘Any Given City’ transports you to some eerie distant shores; it’s not so surprising that this album was part recorded in the breathtaking surroundings of Loch Fyne, it feels like this one really hits the mark with a strong sense of awe and depth of ambiance.

Bringing you back down to Earth, ‘Taking a Fall for Me’ is temptingly resonant of classic 80s synth pop, it’s difficult to stay still as the sweet tick of hi-hat and snare keep this one bouncing along nicely.

Continuing in a similar vein ‘No Longer Dying’ features lovely repeated theme that runs in triplets in the background, like a babbling brook among colourful dissonant chords.

Trickling along nicely, what appears to be a simulated xylophone theme opens ‘Break Us Both’.

There’s a great skill in the way Mike Chang (lead vocals) keeps a slight Scottish accent but doesn’t present it as a distinguishing characteristic, balancing well between character and emotion, this continues in ‘At Night I Dream of Stormy Seas’.

There’s an intensity, a battle of rhythm guitar and bass in the bridges of this one, executed well by the three guitarists Dave Cherry (backing vocals, guitar, synth/keys), Darren Forsyth (backing vocals, bass, synth/keys), Danny Forsyth (backing vocals, guitars, bass, samples, synth).

The story continues with a change in pace in ‘Core’, a lighter take on the first half of the album with ethereal synth and lyrics that don’t feel too deep; a much needed lift.

Who knows what’s coming with ‘New Life on Loop’, sustained chords enter softly, followed by a subtle chime on glockenspiel, the vocals appear to question while the glockenspiel replies, it’s a soft reassurance against the uncertainty flowing beneath.

‘Life Back in Me’ doesn’t quite come through so strongly, it feels more like a filler, but ‘Single Novice’ comes back strong, Scott Maskame (drums, samples, percussion) gives this one structure.

There’s a nineties arcade feel about it, primitive electronic waves clash well with the guitar’s distortion; it’s 80s, but it’s more than that.

There’s a ‘hybridity’ to what this band produce, it sits on a continuum between pop punk and synth pop with some grunge for added value; very clever.

‘Silence/Vacuum’ is a testament to this dynamism, as the penultimate track it comes on strong and hearty and there’s a certain anticipation that builds in wait of the title track.

It certainly doesn’t disappoint, the slight accent comes back, it communicates honesty and provides IndianRedLopez with that relatable quality to engage listeners in a communal appreciation of all things synth.

A cheery sample comes toward the end, you’ll want to be dancing again, it’s come full circle and this album feels whole; well worth waiting for. - Ravechild