Red Fred - Red Fred's : Hippie Jam Band
Red Fred’s are a Brooklyn based band from New York, USA. Their works are a marriage of alternative rock, electric neo-psychedelic freak folk. While a little quiet on the auditory spectrum, their works demand to be played at full volume – the interesting blend of twisted melodies and fuzzy acoustics is both delightful and cryptic.
Teletubbies opens with a weird, vibey atmosphere, that doesn’t quite do the following album justice, but is enjoyable, nonetheless. Tiger (album mix), in contrast, is incredibly varied and increasingly captivating as it overflows with interesting ideas. Like a zoomer with no attention spam, the song feels like flipping through multiple television channels on acid. A fantastic experience. Pure child-like imagination at its best. Sexy Brady blends indie rock, psychedelic rock, rap and freak-folk into a cathartic, transcendental flow. Chicken utilises modern soundcloud rapping tropes, but thankfully forms its own distinct and joyful personality. Joe's Bazooka is an impeccable, frenzied wall of sound in line with Buttholes Surfers chaotic sonic orgies. Head (stars) is bizzarely charming and smooth, despite being so rough around the edges. Like the great Frog Eyes, Red Fred’s utilise harsh frequencies to sculpt a lush atmosphere, one in which the listener can easily bury their head beneath and feel comfort. Both Apple Pies and Seeds are enjoyable songs, though the album begins to faulter from Bland Land to the closer Hippie Jam Band. While the final quarter of the album forms a commendable crescendo and alluring wall of sound, it’s rather sloppily executed and slightly too long.
Red Fred's Hippie Jam Band won’t be for everyone. Its mastering is severely lacking, as is its dip in quality towards the end. Many of its flaws can easily be excused for its tremendous songwriting and vibrant atmosphere. The album is incredibly lush and overflowing with personality. The incorporation of autotuned vocals is not only fitting, but adds plenty of flair. One can only hope Red Fred will not ditch their hazy aesthetic in lieu of a cleaner production in future, as its marvellous atmosphere is thoroughly captivating. One of the strongest records of the year so far, and worth a listening for any fan of psychedelic noise.
Note: In its current state, Hippie Jam Band is abhorrently mastered. It sounds very quiet and barely audible; however, the artist is working behind the scenes to boost the volume of each of these tracks. The current score is reflective of the state of the mastered tracks, to which I’ve heard some behind the scenes. Without this bump in volume, the album sits more in the Really Good range, so here’s hoping that re-release will come soon.
Great
Listen to it here:
https://redfred.bandcamp.com/album/red-freds-hippie-jam-band
