BLAKE RED “The Cradle”

Self Released, 2021

Music: Alternative Rock/Metal
Website: https://www.blakered.com/
Duration: 17:00 (4 tracks)
Country: U.S.A

The Alternative Rock fandom is having a great time this year with a lot of new releases from legendary acts along with budding artists rushing to mainstream stardom with excellent and mature content. Blake Red is one such musician, a multi-instrumentalist to be precise, who surprised with masses with her latest EP “The Cradle”, as a follow to the much-acclaimed single like “Follow Me”. With a total of 4 tracks, the multi-hyphenate performer based out of Illinois doesn’t mess around but utilises the entire time by producing a compelling sound that would force any listener to go back and replay the track!

Starting with the title track, “The Cradle”, it is clear that the sound is straightforward and has Classic American Rock and Roll(akin to AIC) written all over! The energy of Red is worth mentioning and no doubt that it is her voice that drives the song forward. Apart from the vocals, the guitars are “breezy”, in the sense it is very catchy, and for some reason, I want this played when I take a dip in the beach in the summertime(this is me writing after trying to find out what would be the best description for “breezy” by striking the prior ones at least 15 times!).

The second track “This Reincarnation” where Blake’s lyricism takes the centre stage. The song narrates the story of Red, and how she grew up in life facing challenges along the way, and how starting it all up again from scratch would mean like a reincarnation, with new opportunities on the table. As usual, the instrumentation is straightforward, which is pretty hard for a person like me who enjoys Progressive and Experimental music, to digest. Nonetheless, the chosen path works in tandem with the deliverance and lyrics.

The third track “The Darkness” featuring Nona Hendryx is all about layers of Rock and a bit of Psychedelic put together. A decent track, and it shows how well Red uses her variations to give the track a different vibe altogether – impressive, and wise! The fourth and final track, perhaps the best one, “Follow Me” should be no surprise for you if you have listed to Red before. In my opinion, it was the song that would pull more listeners to her music, because it sure did attract me. This is where Red unleashes her “Alpha” form, going all out on her vocals and songwriting skills. A perfect track to end the album!

Overall, “The Cradle” is one of those albums that may sound a bit average yet would go on to become an album that would prove vital in assessing Blake Red’s evolution when it comes to her career. It goes without saying that, This is not the end and is just the beginning of Red’s, what I believe would be an illustrious career. I just wish she include something more on her instrumentation – maybe like an elongated guitar solo with nothing but vocalising in the background. Well, I’m no musician and have only imaginations. But like every other person, I just want my imagination to blossom and be more real, rather than feeling a bit too reel-like.

Tracklist:

1. The Cradle
2. This Reincarnation
3. The Darkness
4. Follow Me

Line-up:

Blake Red – Vocals and All Instruments