What happens when you mix together guitar power chords, driving bass guitar notes, rocking drums, a synth, trombone and a vibraphone? Hi Red Center thought they’d try just that with their Architectural Failures album. Instruments rumble and it has a freshness and energy that many bands will never achieve, but sometimes it feels like it all happens too quickly and all too much at once. Just when you think you know what they’re getting at, they change direction and suddenly you’re listening to gently pulsing synths and sweet post-rocky guitar sounds. It comes out sounding quite kooky and interesting, but not something everyone would want to listen to over and over again. Hi Red Centre don’t quite sound like anyone else and seem to be a band not pinned down by genre – these can only be good things so it will be interesting to see what future albums hold. This band can do a lot of different things but I’d prefer if they would just focus in on the ones they do best.
Angela Stengel
