Sunday 10 January 2016

Mars Red Sky - "Providence" EP (Review)

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 22/1/2016
Label: Listenable Records


What makes Mars Red Sky so good, is that they effortlessly walk the line between heavy as hell and light as fuck.  “Shot in Providence” opens things up with guitars that are heavier than we as fans of the band are used to and for a band like Mars Red Sky, who excel at writing fantastic songs that balance heavy and melody, this is a daring step and it works really, really well.

Providence” CD//DD//LP track listing:

Side A 
1). Shot In Providence


Side B 
2). The Homesick Deaf 
3). Sapphire Vessel


The Review:

I’m not a fan of EP’s. They’re too short. Such is the case with Mars Red Sky and their new EP “Providence,” out on January 22nd. That’s in two weeks. This three song outing doesn’t even begin to scratch the itch I have for another full-length by this band. In fact, it makes me want to scratch more.

“Shot in Providence” opens things up with guitars that are heavier than we as fans of the band are used to. But to think that Mars Red Sky has only touched up their guitars would be foolish because the rhythm section here plods along with lead feet while pushing out a swing that is easy on the ears. And this is exactly what makes Mars Red Sky so good – they effortlessly walk the line between heavy as hell and light as fuck.


Side B is where Julian Pras and his cronies take to a little bit of experimentation. EP’s can be used as a vessel for a band to explore the outer reaches of their sonic scope without the commitment needed to fill a whole album or “change their sound.” And that’s exactly what Mars Red Sky does on “Providence.” They use side B exclusively as a fine time to mess around, offering the listener a mix of a live recording, field recordings, and an extract from their live show “Into the Mars Red Sound.”


There’s a particular chemistry at work here that I have never heard in Mars Red Sky. On the surface, random sound clips are accentuated by heavily strummed acoustic guitars while a string section swells in the background. For a band like Mars Red Sky, who excel at writing fantastic songs that balance heavy and melody, this is a daring step and it works really, really well. And to think, this is merely a sober description of what is happening in the music without describing at all the feelings it conjures.  

The EP is limited to 500 copies. If you’re a fan of EP’s then I’d suggest heading to the Listenable Records store and picking one up.


“Providence” is available here

Band info: official | facebook