’…a hidden gem of the UK indie scene, with an unconventional approach to indie rock that defies easy categorisation…’
Redwood have never been a band easy to define, as demonstrated perfectly by their 2023 EP, ‘The Offering’; from the spiralling noise-rock tinged ‘Dahlia’ to the feel good indie pop anthem ‘Oh Love’, the band have a knack for producing music that speaks to the heart, regardless of genre. Now, following their tour with emo legends Have Mercy and ahead of their tour along progressive juggernauts The Dear Hunter, the band have released arguably their most ambitious track to date.
A tender ode to change, impermanence, and aging, ‘Faint Glow‘ sees Redwood weaving together elements of shoegaze, progressive rock, and indie rock in a splendiferous yet tender display of soulful musicianship. Simple acoustic strumming evolves into a soaring chorus backed by glittering walls of sound, whilst unconventional and progressive rhythms burst into life within the percussive lines, before fizzling out once more. There’s a gently amorphous nature to it all that forces you to experience the track with a sense of awe.
Atop this is a gloriously soulful vocal performance from Alex Birchall. Immense belted passages are delivered with the power and passion that has come to be expected from a Redwood song, but what acts as a wonderful contrast to this is a superb usage of Birchall’s lower register. Rich and resonant, there’s a beautifully jazzy style about the vocal delivery, which lends a gorgeously sentimental vulnerability to the lyricism.
Redwood remain firmly a hidden gem of the UK indie scene, with an unconventional approach to indie rock that defies easy categorisation. ‘Faint Glow‘ feels like the perfectly encapsulation of this, demonstrating that Redwood are a band that seek not to simply write what would be easy or popular, but instead write in the most magical yet human way possible. It is incredibly difficult to not fall in love with that.
For Fans Of: The Dear Hunter, Have Mercy, Mew, Manchester Orchestra, October Drift, Snow Patrol
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