The first few seconds of Redlands’ second full-length album are somewhat surprising: Fast electric guitars and drums start to kick up dust and an upbeat country-rock rhythm. It doesn’t exactly sound like the sad, sleepy Redlands of yesteryear.

Of course, this is surprising in a good way; all of Are You Breathing? is smoother, happier and just plain bigger than The Water’s Rising, the band’s 2006 album. Are You Breathing? is Redlands’ first album recorded as a group collaboration, and the teamwork echoes in every note.

Singer-songwriter Daniel Thrall’s emotive vocals and lyricism are still present, but in slightly different shades; on “Burn the Bridge,” it’s a devil-may-care attitude toward responsibility, and on “A Someday,” it’s giddy optimism (“there’s a someday for us, someday soon to come”). Pop hooks abound, even on the more contemplative tracks; the combination of the darker side of Redlands with the thicker guitars and fuller production makes for much more powerful songs. On “Mercy Core,” lines like “outside on the city streets, chaos makes me wanna stay inside” combine with a downright giddy riff, and then the chorus escalates into pure pop bliss, complete with a burning electric guitar hook, backing vocals and a slight key change at the end of it all.

Truth be told, all of the choruses on Are You Breathing? are pure pop bliss, even on the sadder, sleepier tracks.

This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2010.

2nd- generation Tucson native with a Tucson music problem. That is, a Tucson problem as well as a music problem.

5 replies on “Redlands: Are You Breathing? (Self-Released)”

  1. Shouldn’t the phrase “pure pop bliss” be on the list of forbidden words and phrases for 2010? And what, pray tell, is a “thicker guitar?”

  3. The phrase “pure pop bliss” can still be used if it’s accurate, and it’s far less annoying than “pray tell.” And a “thicker guitar” clearly refers to layered guitar tracks. Wonderful review, Annie!

  4. Clearly? I think the statement would be more clear if it stated what you just did, tucsonmusic. Thicker guitar could refer to the use of a baritone guitar etc. So why not just say “fuller sounding” guitar or “layered guitar tracks”?? Not a good review, not even by tweekly standards.

  5. I totally understand your point, victorb, but “layered guitar tracks” is three words whereas “thicker guitar” is only two. Hence the metaphor. Word limits are a bitch.

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