Scarlet Rebels - Where The Colours Meet
What seems like hot on the heels of 'See Through Blue' is Scarlet Rebels third studio album ‘Where The Colours Meet’. Unless your forename is Trigger, you can see a pattern emerging here, essentially ‘lliw’ or ‘lliwiau’. Yes, the lads like a bit of colour in their lives, and its not always red. This album after a couple of listens is brought to you by the colour Black. The last album, ‘See Through Blue’ made it into the UK Top 10 which is no mean feat even by todays standards
Being with a label like Earache has done the lads a world of good. Why you ask? Well, collaborations with Elles Bailey who sings on ‘Out of Time’ and Ricky Warwick add his songwriting skills to ‘My House My Rules’ but more of these two shortly.
One immediate impression is that the Rebels have seriously upped the ante with the quality of songs on offer. Its common for a band to hit you with both barrels on the opening track, and Secret Drug is no exception with its twangy guitar opening giving me a Dokken ‘Its Not Love’ vibe with a blend of ACDC for good measure. For the sharp knives paying attention will know that ‘Let Me In’ is from the last album that the guys did under the V0id moniker. The production is upped and is a more polished version, its still my favourite from the ‘Keep Fighting’ album. Three songs in and its the utterly brilliant ‘It Was Beautiful’ If you watch the video its so subdued and sad, as Wayne couldn’t look sadder even if he had run over his dog in the tour van.
’Grace’ is an upbeat anthem and the polar opposite in terms of the vibe of ‘IWB’. ‘Out of Time’ features the rather splendid Elles Bailey, in an emotional break-up song and is utter class. Its a modern rock balled of the highest order, something that Bryan Adams would have made into a huge hit in the early 90s. After 6 songs I think Ive found a thread as Mr Doyle has found a rich vein of sorrow and pain. You don’t need therapy when you can put it in a song for you and your fans to relate to, as is heard in ‘How Much Is Enough’ and ‘Practice Run’ and ‘Who Wants To Be In Love Anyway’ which has a good 80s vibe to it.
‘Streets on Fire’ is another anthem shoe-in for the live gigs. ‘Divide And Conquer’ stops you in your tracks. It's a pulsating, no-nonsense all out rocker. The final track ‘My House My Rules’ was co-written with Ricky Warwick. It's a fitting ending to a captivating album.
Theres elements and influences coming from many sources. From Springsteen to U2, and Petty to Springfield and the Phonics to DC. They are all here in a little melting pot of colour, that combine for a recipe for success.
Scarlet Rebels have really outdone themselves with ‘WTCM’. Everything shouts out from the rooftops as to its class. The production is better than anything they have done before which elevates the songs to higher levels. The next album though is going to be really happy!
9/10
Secret Drug
Let Me In
It Was Beautiful
Grace
Declining
Our Of Time (Feat. Elles Bailey)
How Much Is Enough
Practice Run
Streets Of Fire
Who Wants to Be In Love Anyway
Divide And Conquer
My House My Rules
