There is something incredibly evocative about Redgrave.  At first I thought it was just Angie Mead’s vocals.  Some voices sound steeped in cigarettes and whiskey; Mead’s sounds as if that transition is currently taking place.  However, it’s not just the vocals that are so compelling.  The way that the heavy, distorted blues chords lock in with the funerary pace of the drums has a chilling effect.  The duo of Mead and Stephen Howard (of Mississippi Heat and Pinebender) has an undeniable chemistry that is obvious in just these first two songs.  This release shows a tremendous amount of promise.

Redgrave shows some obvious genre influences (namely blues and hard rock), but the band itself is a bit more difficult to categorize.  Is it hard rock tinged with blues, or the other way around?  The A side, “Mantis,” starts with bluesy guitar but towards the end of the song leans towards rock.  Side B, “Gone To Wither,” features a guitar part throughout the song more representative of rock but vocals that sound traditionally of the blues.  Perhaps we won’t know until Redgrave puts out an LP which side they favor, or if they choose sides at all.  Either way, I look forward to hearing it.

(Lovitt Records, PO Box 100248, Arlington, VA 22210-9998)