Blood Red Shoes
Box of Secrets
Mercury Records
By Dany Sloan
The '90s may go down in history as the time when women assaulted the indie scene, making aggressive (not to mention awesome) music to show the world that they were as important as the boys. It would be nice to know that in the 21st century, women are now on equal footing and playing in bands and it's just about the music and it's no longer a statement about their gender.
Laura-Mary Carter, singer and guitarist for the two-piece Blood Red Shoes (the band is rounded out by drummer Steven Ansell), exists in this new world order by being a powerful force, pushed along by ideas and ideas alone. The band's debut fits in nicely next to classics from Hot Snakes, Sonic Youth and Q & Not U, which is becoming the sound de jour for Young England. The crunchy guitars and driving rhythms fit them well, as they have laid down eleven tracks that are fierce, but retain enough pop sheen to control the airwaves of Xfm.
The band pulls no punches as they begin the record in earnest with the driving, male/female vocal trade-off of "Doesn't Matter Much." I'd call this a punk song, but the adjective "punk" carries so much baggage now, so it's best to leave this duo in the realm of DIY rock. The album's first single, "You Bring Me Down," is one of the most challenging verse chorus verse songs I've heard in years. It's a pop song that's anchored by the rhythm section, yet you'd be hard-pressed to find any indie disco to spin it -- and that's a good thing.
Later on in the album, we catch glimpses of Sleater-Kinney with "This Is Not For You," a track that references without being a carbon copy. It's the slowest track on the album, but it's not boring by any means and it allows Carter to reflect without delving into angry territory.
The best thing about Blood Red Shoes is that this is not a group that is "led" by any one person. Ansell and Carter seem to have a natural way of splitting the duties, as each member expertly compliments the other at every turn. With each rise and fall of Carter's voice, Ansell's drumming matches the fluctuations, while his voice meshes perfectly with hers. "Say Something, Say Anything" is the shining example of this division of labor, and of a band that knows exactly what it needs to do to get the job done.
Box of Secrets may have some rough patches, but it's a debut disc to be proud of. No word yet on its Stateside release as the band just finished jumping through the record label hoops to get the album out at home, but whatever the wait is, it will be worth it. There's no longer a need to invite the girls to the party -- they are already there and just as important as the boys.
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