Review: Fires – 'Red Goes Grey'

FIRES
'Red Goes Grey'
METROPOLIS RECORDS

Fires, the brand new from Eric Sochocki of Cryogen Second and Becoming The Devourer fame, sees a welcome return to his dance roots. Dropping the thematic trappings of his previous projects, Fires instead is an expression of melody and emotion. Introspective lyrics passionately sung are framed by elements of synthpop, electronic rock, hints of synthwave. The end result is a devastatingly catchy all out assault on the dancefloor that effortlessly blends melody, rhythm and emotion.

Songs such as 'Believe Me', 'Counting Walls', 'Red Flags', 'Tide', and 'To Be All Alone' give the album a solid backbone of infectious melodies, solid dance beats, soaring near sing-a-long choruses, and genuinely brilliant musicianship. Whereas tracks such as 'Red Goes Grey', 'Tell No One', and 'Follower' have a little more of a sythpop meets electronic rock feel that gives them a heavier presence without sacrificing any dance potential.

The crowning glory though is the cavernous ballad 'Some Kind Of Progress', which closes the album in impressive style. These are the kind of songs that despite their dance appeal, can still be enjoyed on any level whether you're on the dance floor or listening in your car.

This is an album that ticks all the right boxes for what a good dance record should be. There's plenty of melody and rhythm within but with the added bonus of a lot of emotional resonance expressed through the performances that make this the kind of album you can enjoyed intimately. The production is absolutely spot-on with each song sounding like a hit in its own right. There's no sense of filler or throwaway writing, it's precise, methodical and passionate and that really comes through.

'Red Goes Grey' is a great debut for a project with a lot of potential. Sochocki is an experienced hand as it is and it is great to see him to be able to unshackle himself from expectation and create something new. There is a lot going on within this record and that highlights lots of directions the project could go in the future, which is always exciting. But for now this is a great album and one that should generate a lot of interest.  

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