Album Details

• Artist: Red Sparowes
• Album: The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer
• Label: Sargent House
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2010-10-24

"Truths Arise" offers a short, hypnotic intro to a record that is deeply hypnotic but also majestically noisy. Red Sparowes have often had a hard time maintaining such a peak of inspiration, but here on "The Fear is Excruciating, but Therein Lies the Answer" is consistently right on. The slow-slightly faster-crushing sheets of triple guitar fury may seem repetitive, but not in the hands of this LA beast.

Even with a winning but predictable structure, the songs are dripping in epic power. "In Illusions Of Order" slowly builds to a gripping heaviness; likewise "A Hail Of Bombs" has a brittle ambient melody just begins to lull when sheets of emotionally delivered rock. "In Every Mind" and a long rousing finale, "As Each End Looms And Subsides," close a very draining, satisfying set.

Red Sparowes make shoegaze that kicks you in the face while you're busy staring down. "The Fear is Excruciating, but Therein Lies the Answer" is not a good title for anyone but, say, GWAR or Goblin Cock, but this is a powerful record that will deliver sweeping ranges of emotional responses. Fear not.

User Reviews and Comments