Rainbow Danger Club
“Stargazer” from the “Treehouse Empire” album
From Shanghai, China to Austin, Texas, it seems like a big stretch and the connection between the two places might not seem so obvious. Whatever happened here, it gave us Rainbow Danger Club though, so we must be thankful to it.
This new album is the third full feature release from the band, after a 6 years gap. And all I can say is that it was worth the wait… Hard to pin down exactly what genre they would fit best into, from alternative, indie, pop, progressive or all of the above. Doesn’t matter much in the end, if the music is good, as it is with this album, which presents a well thought out blend of many influences in an original form.
Take the “Stargazer” song that caught my attention here, starting with what sounds at first like a regular indie pop ditty with jangly guitars, but which very soon morphs into an almost psychedelic progressive-rock anthem, with a truly original chorus with an extended melody, highlighted by joint guitar arpeggios, synths and xylophone response, underlying mellotron and lead guitar. I hear shades of ELO or Alan Parsons on this one, and this is not to say that it doesn’t have its own personality. I especially like the coda that reprises that chorus melody, a fitting outro for a song that knows how to create a mood!
Overall, the rest of the album delivers in an alternative pop genre that would have been more at ease in the seventies than it is now, with its melodic vain and music that just flows beautifully. That shouldn’t prevent you from appreciating the musicianship and power of this collection of songs, quite the contrary!
Verdict: 5/5 beards - Highly recommended, give it a listen today!
Get the album on Bandcamp: https://rainbowdangerclub.bandcamp.com/