Rough Red – Not Here for a Haircut

CD Review by Graham Blackley

Australian five-piece folk rock outfit Rough Red has made an impressive mark on the international music scene.

The band has gained airplay in a number of countries including Ireland, Germany, France and Denmark and their debut album Better Red Than Dead, achieved the coveted honour of being album of the week two weeks in a row on Ireland’s national rock station.

Rough Red has appeared live at numerous festivals such as: Skagen in the north of Denmark, Paide’ in Estonia, the Montreux Jazz Festival, The Galway Bay Festival of Arts and The National, Woodford and Tamworth festivals in Australia.

They have even headlined the Bardentreffen in Neuremberg Square in front of 20,000 punters! One listen to the band’s accomplished new album Not Here For A Haircut demonstrates why they have been so successful at inspiring both popular and critical acclaim.

When you are enveloped by the staggering, gutsy tight-knit vocal harmonies that sparkle on opening number Tell Me Something I Don’t Know you realise immediately that you are in the presence of a talented band in full control of their melodic powers.

The jaunty, toe-tapping, high-velocity I Wanna Be A Pirate is nothing short of effervescent while Like A Tree ripples with a melancholic intensity that neatly matches the desolation captured by the evocative lyrics.

The band’s rich sound is derived from a heady stew of bass, harmonica, accordion, piano, keys, drums, percussion, mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, acoustic, electric and resonator guitars and topnotch vocals.

On the strength of this mighty fi ne album, Rough Red seem ripe for further success as they continue their rather inspiring quest for world domination.