Remo Drive - 'A Portrait Of An Ugly Man' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. A Guide To Live By

2. Star Worship

3. Dead Man

4. If I've Ever Looked Too Deep In Thought

5. The Ugly Man Sings

6. True Romance Lives

7. Ode To Joy 2

8. The Night I Kidnapped Remo Drive

9. A Flower And A Weed

10. Easy As That

Out last Friday, the 26th of June, this is the second record by this Minnesota sibling duo that I’ve reviewed, what’s obvious to me straight off is that there is a progression from this last release, the production on this album is crisper but what really makes this a better record than their last one is the atmospheric nature of this album. I didn’t know if they set out deliberately to create the vibe that I hear coming through but whether it’s deliberate or accidental doesn’t really matter, this is an excellent album.

It has elements of Classic Rock, an Indie vibe and yet the overwhelming feeling is of the wide open spaces of America, it’s like an Indie Rock Western soundtrack, personally I loved it.

This is an example of a band taking time to craft something that works as a whole, not just a series of songs thrown together, it has that feel of an album that’s been lovingly and painstakingly sequenced and agonised over.

There are times when this could be a record which could have been released any time over the last 40 years and times when it couldn’t sound any more current if it tried, the interesting thing is that it all meshes together really well throughout. There are various influences that surface from time to time, some obvious, some not so, but it doesn’t matter as Remo Drive sound like Remo Drive, no-one else, no influence is worn too much on their sleeves and just as you think you might be pinning them down they go off in an unexpected direction.

If any film directors out there are looking for the soundtrack to their Indie Western road trip it’s right here, all ready for you.

That this band are quality musicians is not in doubt, what I wasn’t sure before was how far they can go, I think the answer is as far as they want to.