CD Review: "Robots and Roses"-Red Wire Black Wire

Emitting the same electricity as the band's Compass EP, Red Wire Black Wire's debut album, Robots and Roses, surges with sonorous synthy beats and carefully-crafted lyrics. The Brooklyn electropop band's first track, "Breathing Fire," would generate heat on the dance floor at any party- its drum rhythms alone will stir those with two-left-feet syndrome to get up and move. Catchy tunes aside, the album is loaded with clever songwriting.

In up-tempo, short and not-so-sweet, "Body Inside A Dress," frontman Doug P. Walters summarizes a one-year relationship with this insightful lyric: "I know they say love is blind/but I think love's got spider's eyes:/ the moment we undress/every angles manifest." Seems like this girl has quite a hold on his err...lower region. He reminds her that he's had a "padlock on his eyes," and by the end of the less-than-three-minute track he still pleads: "Come here girl/Why won't you give in/to me tonight?" leaving the listener either sympathizing or laughing at him.

The rest of the songs are not just limited to this touchy subject."Tentacles" describes a drunken night in which he loses a girl to another girl, driving him to a cemetery, feeling lonely, drinking more and begging the moon to keep him company. "Gold for Its Weight" delves into reveling in materialism and once upon a time treasuring little things like skipping stones. One song, "Reverse Tinman," was also on the band's EP except this time around there's heavier drumming.

With their first-full length album, Robots and Roses, Red Wire Black Wire continues to be synthillating - and their sparks aren't going out anytime soon.

Listen to the whole album here. BUY it here

I just wanted to add that I know in my previous post that the audience grooved at their show, but I went to a show of theirs during the CMJ Music Festival and it was a DANCE PARTY. Maybe it sounded like I don't like shows where people dance, but that is completely false. Red Wire Black Wire was so into it and so energetic and the audience reciprocated.

What I'm trying to say is their shows can either be pretty mellow with people grooving or full-on crazy (in a good way, of course) with people shaking what their mama gave them. That's all.

If you get the chance and you're in New York on December 8, they'll be performing at Brooklyn's The Knitting Factory. Not really sure if it's going to be a grooving or shaking-what-your-mama-gave-ya show, but I can assure you it will be a good one.