Ohio quintet Red Wanting Blue‘s From the Vanishing Point may be their 9th release, but this record is their first to be released through as label (as opposed to a self-release) making this LP an important benchmark for this group. A local favorite, this easy rock group tours the Midwest, filling shows with their large and loyal fan base. No doubt about it, Red Wanting Blue, is a crowd pleaser, or at least attempting to be one. A sort of amalgam of genres, with Scott Terry‘s husky rock-style baritone slightly reminiscent of Eddie Vedder, but with catchy hooks and simple lyrics like pop music and some of the swagger and country influence of folk songs, this album is all encompassing yet still incomplete.

Scott Terry‘s voice doesn’t quite seem to match with Red Wanting Blue‘s style. His vocals skills are strong, but you hear his voice and think you’re getting something Pearl Jam-esque, but it’s (sadly) too radio rock friendly. They lack a certain grittiness that could make them powerful and more authentic. The music is too clean, too produced, too mellow, and just too typical. This should be rock band becomes pop rock.

There are several numbers with potential, starting with opener “Stay on the Bright Side.” This sweet and extremely optimistic (“we don’t like grey clouds around”) song is sweet and memorable. “Love Remains” has a catchy chorus with creative and solid lyrics “Don’t give up/ You can keep on/ Keep on moving/ Chasing the sound of the sun somewhere going down/[…]Keep losing pieces in an effort to make things whole,” creating an interesting image to go along with the song. “Walking Shoes” is a bit more folky and seems to fit Terry‘s vocals better. It could be the strongest number if the lyrics were a little less silly (“that train going ‘choo choo’”), but is a successful song overall. All of these songs have so much potential. They’re just missing an edge to set them apart. They need some grit. Terry‘s voice is begging for it.

Conclusion: This group needs to dirty it up!