Red Sea releases Weird Problem EP

• Dut Goodman

Red Sea released a new EP titled Weird Problem yesterday (Nov. 30). This is yet another one of those really interesting bands to crop up in the wilds of suburban Atlanta with a name that’s virtually unsearchable by Google standards.

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Anyway, the Weird Problem EP is posted on the group's Bandcamp page and each song is full of billowing dream-pop arrangements that are driven by jangling guitars steeped in reverb and robust rhythms. It’s a bit of a stretch, but there are moments here that remind me of some of the more accessible New Zealand post-punk bands of the late '70s on up through the early ’90s. But to say that implies that there’s more of a noise aesthetic here than what this band actually wields (i.e., Red Sea has more in common with the Clean than they do with the Dead C).

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There is an impending sense of trouble brewing in the first few minutes of “Cruel Future,” but there’s a sense of wistful melody here as well, which becomes the defining trait as other songs, such as “In Shape” and “Manuka,” unfold.

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The massiveness of “Middle Name” gets undercut by a dose of acid logic in the lyrics which begin with the line, “Walking with a spoonful of ice cream, waiting for a mouth to surprise me.” It’s delivered with a warble that’s wholly unnecessary, but it does little to undermine the song’s strengths. It’s looming, intricate and the hooks are undeniably strong, while upholding a sense of low-fi mystery and pop contemplation, making it a strong finish for a fantastic handful of songs.

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Red Sea plays the Music Room on Thurs., Dec. 2 with Back Pockets, Lille and Christ Lord. $3. 9 p.m. 327 Edgewood Ave. (under Pizzeria Vesuvius).