Fine Fascination

Oh, what wonders the internet does for music nowadays. This band, the rather scantily-named Red Light Company, owe it completely for their present-day line-up, with several of the band members having met on the web back in the now-distant mists of 2007. These days, after a couple of years of trying to cement themselves firmly in the foundations of the British music scene, it appears that building-work may be just about to commence. Indeed, they have recently played at the scenester-satiated Club NME at Koko, had their song ‘Arts and Crafts’ picked as the record of the week on Scott Mills’ show, and even supported the musically “accomplished” Pigeon Detectives on their latest tour. Admittedly, supporting the Pigeon Detectives wouldn’t exactly be my perfect idea of emerging in the musical world – in fact it would be a dark, dragging and inescapable nightmare – but everyone has to start somewhere.

Their debut, Fine Fascination, which will be released in March, is a consistently epic rock record; Editors-esque indie without the melancholic blandness and sheer downright pessimism. It calmly ravages and rages right from beginning to end, yet still retains a veil of dignity and a significant degree of playability that most ears will be partial to. In fact, the band’s sound does seem to be a tidy conglomeration of all the best bits of a number of critically acclaimed bands; a more zesty Interpol after drinking several Red Bulls; Snow Patrol without the nauseating soppiness; The Enemy without being completely rubbish. ‘Scheme Eugene’, the first single to be released from the album, dances rings around most other first proper singles. With its pump-hammer beats, twanging guitar riffs and its crucial hum-along-ability factor it would probably fit in very comfortably among the current Radio 1 playlist without the batting of a single eyelid. Saying that however, every song has the potential to be a single and to dance more than just rings.

Apart from occasionally slipping into a slightly more emo frame of mind, there is really nothing much to fault about the record. In fact it’s pretty good – a little mainstream to be fair, there is nothing particularly innovative about it – but it’s more than listenable. Construction-work has only just begun, but I’m sure Red Light Company have a much greater place to go.

All hail the internet.