Flood of Red – Leave Everything Behind

They say that song tends to hide accents of based out of the UK.  Generally I find that true.  But when it comes to the Scottish, there’s no hiding a thick Glasgow accent.  And why would they want to?  A Glasgow accent is currency overseas.  A lot of Scottish bands have been receiving attention in America for bringing something different to indie and alternative genres.  Bands like Frightened Rabbit and Twin Atlantic are just a couple of the region’s made-for-America acts, and the trend shows no signs of letting up.

Despite being around for more than a few years, Glasgow’s former punk tinged indie act, Flood of Red, has recently mellowed out and begun dabbling in an American sound that is sure to garner attention.  Much like contemporaries Twin Atlantic, vocalist Jordan Speirs proudly maintains his Scottish pronunciation.  He occupies that space between Death Cab For Cutie and the Decemberists.  It’s calming, never overly aggressive, and just downright appealing.  Some might be tempted to brand them as post-hardcore, but that would be the easy way out.  More than anything they resemble a mellowed out rock act with ambient tendencies.

The album in question is their latest release, Leave Everything Behind.  Putting it in the context of my own listening habits, I had just finished reviewing a slew of HEAVY albums before taking Flood of Red for a spin.  Although I didn’t know it until after listening, Leave Everything Behind was exactly what I needed.  Rather than feeling that the album lacked teeth, it engulfed me in calm right from the start.  The opener, “The Edge of the World (Prelude),” sets a deeply introspective mood.  Speirs’ faintly echoic vocals drew me in amidst a backdrop of twinkly guitars, almost having a hypnotic effect.  The following track, “The Harmony,” might introduce some harder guitar work, but the effect remains, and what follows truly is harmonious.

The rest of the album features a slow to mid-tempo pace, but never gets boring in spite of this recurrence.  Some may be turned off by how similar the tracks end up, but at least for me, the similarities provide a sense of continuity that develop a wonderful sense of emotion across the album.  Leave Everything Behind is an album in the purest sense.  Each song has a purpose and is best listened to in its intended context.

Flood of Red’s latest album might not be overly remarkable, but it is incredibly solid.  Aided by the unintended but unique effect offered by Speirs’ accent and the band’s ability to mould atmosphere from melody, Leave Everything Behind sets Flood of Red up for great things.  It would be hard imagining the band not getting notice after a release of this caliber.