By juxtaposing their patented, epic dreamscapes with a healthy, head-bobbing dose of dub and melancholy folk, The Red Channels have managed to make the sultry, reverb-laden vocals of Elaina Azari more haunting and beautiful than ever.

8 MP3 Songs in this album (36:35) !
Related styles: Rock: Shoegaze, Pop: Ambient Pop, Mood: Dreamy

People who are interested in Jesus and Mary Chain Mazzy Star Pixies should consider this download.


Details:
"Sounds like: A freak folk duoâs third and beautifully weird gem of dub and reggae-infused beats over Björk-like howls. Free association: Even the leftovers are probably dope the next day. For fans of: Blonde Redhead, Lee Perry" - Philadelphia Weekly, 8/25/2009

"I was hesitant about this at first but it won me over pretty fast. Really subdued vaguely generally ethnic something. Lots of atmosphere here, mysterious-type, girl vox. The RIYL says Blonde Redhead but I'm not sure that captures it, totally. I hear a much more accessible Spires In The Sunset Rise in this band. If you like this and want something with the weird-meter turned up all the way, check out that band." - KUCI FM

"Yes, "waltz," but this dance is far from the ballroom, in a post-apocalyptic circus, a dance among the detritus, in rags for a dress, with a dead dog for a judge. The song resonates beautifully over the fallout. But maybe that's just me." - Smudge of Ashen Fluff 8/27/2009

The Red Channels have long been tuned in to something special, but on "Ghetto Cooking", the bandâs third full-length album, the signal is picture perfect.

"Ghetto Cooking" offers an experience that is both eerily familiar and refreshingly new at the same time. The album evokes much of the dark tranquility of their second album, "Lonely Melting Iceberg". Even still, there is a notable departure in its energy. It offers an array of emotions, but it doesn't resonate with a bleak chill like "Lonely Melting Iceberg", nor does it summon the manic, insomniac aura of their self-titled debut.

More true evolution than a departure from their earlier work, Ghetto Cooking finds the group having mastered the art of spooky, atmospheric songwriting, and now exploring the limits of their odd, dark world with the introduction of a variety of new influences.

By juxtaposing their patented, epic dreamscapes with a healthy, head-bobbing dose of dub and melancholy folk, The Red Channels have managed to make the sultry, reverb-laden vocals of Elaina Azari more haunting and beautiful than ever. Add in Ryan M. Block's jarring, angular guitars, the cooling, atmospheric drones of the organs, and a rhythm section that somehow manages to make their deep, repetitive grooves sound experimental, and the result is an expansive, challenging record. In a word, "Ghetto Cooking" is stunning.

On each track the band leaps effortlessly from one style to the next, yet never breaking the cohesiveness of the record. In the very first song,"I Am In It", which builds intensity on a fairly simple chord line reminiscent of a religious hymn, its obvious we're being taken someplace new. For anyone fond of The Red Channels' brand of ambient, hypnotic sound, its not a journey likely to disappoint. In the calming, cooler tracks, Azari's singing remains mostly subdued. The tropical arrangement in "Forever", for instance, is backed up by her lush moaning.

There are also manic, unsettling pieces loaded with haunting echo effects and aggressive drums, most visibly embodied in "Waltz", a waltz from another world. Here, the lascivious vocals accompany a dominant church organ, drawing the listener into a deceptively dreamy headspace. The walls of this world are ripped wide open in the final act with a fusion of erratic instruments and intense vocals. âYou Sleepâ hints at trip hop. âTadpole Researchâ has the makings of a James Bond theme, while the album closer âNewton Hayesâ tiptoes toward the groupâs folksier side. Every song manages to surprise, but from beginning to end "Ghetto Cooking" resounds as a unified, singular effort.

Spacious, calculated, moody, and ambitious . . . with "Ghetto Cooking" The Red Channels have found an amazing new album where each listen involves new discovery and depth. When it gets to the end, just start it again. You wonât be disappointed.