You couldn't exactly call The Catenary Wires a wild deviation from what Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey (both members of fuzz-pop band Talulah Gosh and Tender Trap amongst others) have done in the past, but on their first album under this guise, there's almost a sense that the pair have a point to prove. Take away the style and is there still enough substance to make a decent record? 'Red Red Skies' could still be called indiepop, but it's more stripped down than some past work, relying more heavily on acoustic guitar and vocals without ever falling into the whole generic singer-songwriter category.
When it comes down to it, 'Red Red Skies' in a collection of love songs (often of the very lovelorn variety, with tracks like 'A Different Scene' wondering "are you happy, are you crying still? I know I'm not supposed to care..."). Other titles? 'Like A Fool', 'Too Late, I Love You', Things I Love'... they're not trying to hide anything. It's difficult to tell whether the almost countryish 'Throw Another Love Song On The Fire' is knowing self depreciation; an admittance that, really, there's one main theme here, or whether it's just another sad paean to a failed/failing relationship ("thanks for making me so unhappy").
It's not easy to find a bad song amongst the lot, but if you had to pick some form of criticism, it would possibly be that somewhere along the line a change of pace, possibly even topic, wouldn't do any harm. That said, 'Red Red Skies' doesn't outstay its welcome, so perhaps any changes could wait for/if The Catenary Wires decide to make a follow-up. With the likes of 'Too Late, I Love You', the swoonsome 'Intravenous' or standout 'When You Walk Away', it's likely that this is an album that will stay in the mind for more than just a few plays, and, should you be in a certain state of mind right now, you might just find yourself identifying with this collection and holding it close to your heart for some time.
The Catenary Wires' website
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