Red Huxley - Needle's Eye

Red Huxley

Needle's Eye
self-released; 2014

3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Dylan Jones (vocals/guitar), Murray Stephenson (drums) and Joel Bronner (bass) are the three members that make up Red Huxley. They hail from Cape Town, South Africa and recently released an impressive five-song EP entitled Needle’s Eye. The band plays a mix of garage rock and blues rock not unlike that of Queens of The Stone Age and The Black Keys. Needle’s Eye is by no means reinventing the wheel but it does showcase a band that not only can write a good rock song but can also deliver it. The five songs are good unpretentious fun with exceptional production work that is quite easy to enjoy.

I can’t verify the songs were recorded live but if I were a betting man I would put my money on it. The songs sound like a band playing together in the same room. It has the raw energy that that digital 1’s and 0’s have yet to have an appropriate algorithm to replicate. Maybe it’s the bleed from the overheads, maybe it’s the extra force put into the playing the guitar, whatever it is it’s there.

The EP starts off rocking with “Calibrate” and doesn't stop until it’s over. As soon as Jones started singing on “Calibrate” my first thought was that he sounds like Chris Cornell. There are definitely similarities in his singing style especially a younger “Spoonman” era Cornell. The song comes equipped with a kinetic bass line and hard hitting drums that support an inventive guitar riff.

“Landing on the Sun” is another rocker revolving around power chords, catchy vocal melodies and style. It’s a straightforward song - not too innovative but certainly catchy. The highlight of the five songs was the closer “Less is More, More or Less.” It was not only the most dynamic but felt the most original. On top of that the guitar solo was a blazing, mourning declaration that brought to mind Pink Floyd.

Needle’s Eye is a solid and consistent EP. These guys can rock and I look forward to seeing how they progress.

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