Red Wanting Blue’s recent album, These Magnificent Miles, is one that takes old topics and melodies and makes them refreshingly new and different. Tackling tricky concepts and cliché themes with creative metaphors and similes, the lyrics are interesting without becoming messy or complicated.

Acoustic and electric guitars switch off between songs, while an electric bass wails deeply, giving the melodies a depth that parallels its lyrics without overshadowing them. Indie rock meets country swing, as the gritty, southern drawl of the vocals makes the band feel more familiar, welcoming you to their sound.

Opening up with their strongest lyrical song, “Gravity,” Red Wanting Blue wastes no time luring in listeners with different and unusual lyrics: “You eclipse me with your face/ I’d give up the ground to feel your grace.” At first it seems melodramatic and overdone, but by listen two, you realize how beautiful of a song it genuinely is.

“You Are My Las Vegas” and “Where You Wanna Go” follow, two catchy songs that, although still talking about how the band feels about their girls, present different perspectives and new approaches. The band also brings on the rock and roll with “New Cool” and “U.S. Bumper Sticker”, while another up-tempo track, “The World is Over” has more country swing and influence.

Overall, These Magnificent Miles is a solidly good album, whose word play will excite both music and word lovers. Their melodies are also original, and work well in context of the songs. Definitely an album to check out, although, one shouldn’t expect any top hits.

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