The Red Angel EP. Canyons and Locusts

Canyons and Locusts have come by on this blog several times over past few months in the more anonymous, weekly singles post. With The Red Angel the duo releases its first EP. Six songs in the punk(rock) segment of music that deserve the full spotlight this blog can offer, and not the spot where I had expected to add the EP.

Canyons and Locusts is a duo living wide apart from each other in the U.S. It's possible to live further apart but Boston and Phoenix is stretching a musical relationship. The guitar-drums duo does not seem hampered by it in any way. It produces wild rock and roll for the 21st century, let's call it punk rock. A distorted guitar, heavily strummed, a drummer who fills in the plugs left by the wall of guitar, a voice singing with a light sneer. This is all the information you need before starting your listening session.

Singer-guitarist Justin Keane and drummer Amy Young released their first album, 'Roll The Dice' in the spring of 2022 on the Red on Red label of the late Justine Covoult. The band continued and the new EP proves this was the right decision. The Red Angel is a reference in honour of Justine's memory and her work for Boston's rock and roll community. (Besides being talented herself. Her last album with her band The Unclean, 'The Signal Light', didn't make my list of favourites of 2023 for nothing.)

The single that started this blog's relationship with Canyons and Locusts, 'To Art Bell', opens The Red Angel. In my book the song is a declaration of intent. Whoever Art Bell is/was, to have such a strong song named after you is a great honour. This is rock and roll alright. And for those who don't like punk rock, there's good news: the song is all over within 1.30 minutes. Canyons and Locusts have said all there's to say about Art Bell. This band is not hindered by conventions where the length of songs is concerned. What they play is what you get. Not a second more but certainly nothing less. What an opening song 'To Art Bell' is.

The bad news is, that it does not get better than 'To Art Bell'. The good news is that you definitely should not stop listening. With it's 'I'm So Free' chord progression intro, 'Soo All The Way' rocks even louder. On a good day, I may rank the song higher any way. It's a more conventional punkrocker, and runs just over two minutes.

The Red Angel offers four more songs. A song like 'Love Goes Down The Drain' again is so to the point. I love its directness and energy. Songs may be short but Canyons and Locusts give them its all. Just imagining having to play them live, already sets my strumming arm's muscles aflame.

13 Minutes and a little and the six songs are all over. The slower 'Donna Summer' is the one bringing the average time up. The noise and the energy in combination with the melodies take care of 13 minutes well-spent and not go by unnoticed. What a nice, energising experience The Red Angel is.

Wout de Natris