Review by Doug Cornell

There's not much that can go wrong with a simple power pop formula.  Turn up the guitars, sing some catchy melodies, and soon you'll have a solid fan base.  The Alan Yates Band, from Georgia, are cast in a similar vein as Pete Yorn or the Posies.  This isn't cerebral music, but it's perfect for a steamy summer afternoon.

Standout tracks on Red include the slow, almost-edgy track "16 Minutes," which is packed with Y2K production techniques and jagged electric guitars.  Yates voice jumps from normal to falsetto in a heartbeat in the mid-tempo rock track "Arlington," which packs a nice punch in the bass and drums department.  "Can You Hear Me" is an acoustic track that's perfect for a FOX TV teen drama (girl dumps boy, he walks away from the camera as the scene fades).  The tempo picks up for the rocker "Devastate," but it's the track "Place In the Sun" that's the perfect summer song.  Piles of guitars meet a soaring chorus in this ready-for-radio track.

The pacing on Red mostly ranges from ballad to mid-tempo rockers, but "Talk" moves along at a good clip.  A clever guitar riff drives the melody, making this one of those must-have roll-the-windows-down tracks.   The tempo slows on "Vanity", and the album loses a little momentum with "Wasting Time."

Red, which is a solid entry into the power-pop realm, is also expertly recorded and produced.  The simple guitar/drums/bass/vocals instrumentation is clean and modern sounding. 

Recommended for fans of American rock and power-pop.

Track Listing:

1. Talk       
2. Arlington       
3. Devastate       
4. Can You Hear Me       
5. Wasting Time       
6. Wind Me Up       
7. 16 Minutes       
8. Place In The Sun       
9. Vanity       
10. Seasons