Oxford and Reading’s Indie-folk outfit, Little Red have released their new album ‘Draw Blood’.Featuring the singles ‘Siren Song’, ‘Diamond Back’ and ‘Woebegone’, Draw Blood features nine tracks, written and recorded by the band. A fuller and more realised document of their sound than 2014’s well-received ‘Sticks and Stones’, Draw Blood features eight full-band tracks and one intimate trio recording, ‘Lay’. New member Marc Challans (formerly of AMP) has made a big impact on the band’s new sound, not only by adding heavier drums and percussion to the record, but also by sharing co-producer roles with Ben Gosling and Tom Hodges (Club Soda). Three of the tracks, ‘Black Dog’, ‘Chapters’ and ‘Huntsmen’, have been re-recorded with the new live line-up, to bring listeners up-to-date with where Little Red are now. Influenced by artists such as Colter Wall, Tom Mcrae and Tom Waits, the band has embraced Folk, Southern Gothic and Americana to help create this record.
The album gravitates around a folk sound with rich rhythmic slaps and pulses bringing a grittier more punchy texture to each of the tracks. It’s easy to listen to as each track flows fluidly into one another with subtle genre shifts weaving between their indie folk outfit. ‘Siren Song’ introduces their sound with eerie dark guitar strides between a trudging drum beat and sweet luscious vocals from Hayley Bell. The vocal rounds make for a truly engaging listen and the blend of male and female vocals is refreshing and sublime. I quite like the ghostly mysteries of this track as it’s crafted simply with each component piece carefully placed for maximum spine chilling effect while the soothing vocals ease your mind from the creeping guitar line. ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Chapters’ takes on their buoyant Americana hued style as twangy guitars bounce along the rich sprightly rhythm while the glorious vocals coo and vibrantly harmonise through the punchy tracks with the latter having a organ-like element throughout the chorus. ‘Diamond Back’ brings us a nice clap along feature while ‘The Quiet Ones’ returns to that dark tone with a western-esque stand off at sun down lonesome vibe. These guys know how to tell a story and they portray the emotion and imagery perfectly through their music and this track and ‘The River’ is a prime example of that. ‘The Huntsmen’ follows their immaculate storytelling with the delicate instrumentation of acoustic guitar and soft drums before it bursts into a swayable blissfully folky instrumental that is perfect for old medieval grand halls and large crowds dancing with tankards of beer. ‘Lay’ is the only acoustic track on the album. Bell’s vocals sweetly coo over warm guitar twinkles. It’s a delicate number filled with emotion and tender tones.Very mellow and calming it’s the most soothing track on the album.The lusciously rhythmic ‘Woebegone’ closes the album with vibrant tones and marvelous harmonies. This track rhythmically is my favourite as it is rich rumbly and dynamically elevating. It’s one to get your blood pumping and your feet tapping.
‘Draw Blood’ is a tight album that showcase’s Little Red’s intricate musicianship and compact layering to create a satisfying hair raising collecting of tracks.
Stream ‘Draw Blood’ below
