Seluah – Review of the album Red Parole

Seluah wandered in to focus back in 2000 were in the radar for a couple of years, drifted away to pursue other projects and on 10th April 2012 release an album – Red Parole. Sometimes being ‘interesting’ is merely being self-indulgent. The  Louisville, USA based quartet - Andrew Killmeier (Guitars), Matt Johnson (guitars), Andrew Peace (Bass) and Edward Grimes (drums and vocals)  have been sorely missed.

Opening with We May Never Make It Home, Seluah are a far weightier band (and I am not referencing  waistbands). The band adds a couple of additions for this track and makes full use of the added instrumentation with a sharp intake back to the ’70s festival zone. Immediately the listener is riveted to a genuinely crafted track which resonates with a shining piece of guitar work – simple yet elegant, which is something of a context changer with the ‘festival’ referencing – think more an Oberammergau experience, set to floating psychedelic rock and the decade between performance seems apposite, rather than the mud at Woodstock.

The Other Side Of The Gun builds gently as the band recede in to the shadows, tempting the ears to chase the music, yet each guess is off the space that Seluah lead, so the whole experience of the track becomes a zig-zag of listener playing catch-up – delicious.

Seluah, “The Other Side of the Gun” by karatebody

The release heads to Killing The Angels, which, well with the bass that challenges the speakers – particularly when on full blast – how could this not make sense to my ears.  Seluah wrest the meat from the bones as the basic instincts of survival and I find my mind wandering off to the Lascaux paintings, this is primeval and thank you Karate Body Records for getting in-line with this release.

Sail Straight Into The Bombs paints images of a high flying plain, Seluah comprises not merely capable musicians but very smart songwriters. The bass is lost until we are up to altitude as the resonance of flying though the clouds hits the ears.

This may be a story of an ocean voyage, but far more importantly it is the tale that envelopes the listeners ear.

Black Sand finds the band back with a construction that delves the depths of the lower keys, set to a slower tempo, there is a sense of  ’awareness of concern’ which is picked through with stingingly sharp direction.

Drifting on to Hell And Back the sounds floating around the room resonate with acoustics as the synchronicity of electricity and tempo slide the track towards a staged rock opera.

I feel I have been on a sojourn as the penultimate track Disengage sets stall that we are nearing journeys end. Suddenly my feet are tapping to rock-a-billy and life is looking good, I have survived the release – but, I just want to play it all again.

For the finale -  Elysian Fields – wanders to a more ethereal space and there is a sense that Seluah are not to be expected to return soon as the mind is drawn to the spaceship heading off from earth. Let’s hope there is not another decade to wait for the next release.

While awaiting the LP – The Other Side of the Gun is available on *

Join the indie bands blog on facebook for more of the best in indie music from around the world.

*Purchases made through the link will result in the indie bands blog earning a commission

 

 

Related posts: