ALBUM REVIEW: Captured nicely in the British neo-psychedelia vessels were alternative bands like Railway Children, The Mighty Lemon Drops and The Wonderstuff. All trying to sound in parts like Echo & The Bunnymen and sometimes unconsciously like the poppier side of Dinosour Jr. Years later it’s Two Thousand Eleven and enters Red Light Driver‘s 4th release. These Indianapolis, US rockers are as much a flashback to this sound as they are filled with spot-on swirly pop guitars like said music movement from the late 80’s. This band shows that they are actually from the midwest on tracks like “The Away Anthem” but I question their passport in a very British Sea Power kind of way (insert stuffy accent here) on the opening self titled cut “Celeste Celeste” and then later on “Diamond Rough” – leave it to some Americans to give you incomplete song titles. Anyway, this comparison mostly has to do with the call and response vocals and drums on choruses and use of twangy guitars and effects. The band freely admits this so no harm done. This combo is going to bring the genre back into vogue as they present their case in a oversaturated market of internet bands who care more care about how cool their beards looks than the music. This well groomed Celeste Celeste EP shines a bright light on the genre where the bands were veering away from punk in order to be pop-stars and who did not quite survive the grunge era. In this case each cut has the naughty rock-n-roll bits re-exposed and re-examined and not in a lame Jim Morrison kind of way.

Red Light Driver:
Celeste Celeste MP3
Diamond Rough MP3

80’s Brit Alternative Pop:
That’s Entertainment MP3 by The Wonder Stuff from Never Loved Elvis
Another Town MP3 by The Railway Children
Inside Out MP3 by The Mighty Lemon Drops (1988)

Bonus Cover:
Paint It Black MP3 Stones cover by The Mighty Lemon Drops