First In Space - In The Red

First In Space

In The Red
self-released; 2014

3.6 out of 5

By Ethan Skelton

First In Space has a nice approachable sound on their album In The Red not unlike the breezy rock of Gin Blossoms and what’s more it still feels down home and fun. I picture these guys playing a parking lot show for their close friends. The talent is there, the sound is there, the only thing left is some notoriety. The vocals stand out along with the catchy guitar driven hooks, a simple and effective recipe for some rock n’ roll attitude – an attitude that respects women of course and tries to save the environment. 

Only kidding, but First In Space is the good guys and who doesn’t like a good time especially when the popular move is to go hard and essentially bring to light life’s darkness. Whatever happened to turning blues into gold, maybe dialing back the distortion and cranking up the feels? Trade that anger for some mean harmonies. Add a solid band and voila. We have In The Red.

From “Letters From Hell” to “The Other Side” we see the meat and potatoes; lush choral support with bright chord structure and sweepingly punchy drums. The formula knows it works and doesn’t shy away from really laying into things as the album progresses, a move that’s admirable and also important for longevity. There’s enough distinction to get by at first listen and I’m not too concerned about the bleeding of track to track come seasoned exposure. That’s a trick that most bands seem to miss from time to time. Good songs should not always be seen by themselves but as a building block for a bigger picture – the album. Maybe it’s a lost art, but this single heavy world has forgotten how to appreciate a work’s entirety. 

“Life Unsung” takes a nice turn into deeper material and less of a sing-song attraction. First In Space knows its way around the studio and how to make quality songs, there’s no doubt. I’m left with the impression that they have been at work for a while and may be really hitting their stride on this project. It has great direction, depth and appeal. Although it has a steady flow of low tension it’s not lacking excitement. And get a load of the album cover. A poignant image to go along with some fine music, open to interpretation and very likely politically fueled. In closing, I’m more than pleased with this effort and I am sure you will be too.

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