The Vitals:

Label: Plastiq Music
Genre: Electro/Synth/Indy pop
Number of Tracks: 9
How to Obtain: www.plastiqmusiq.com

Factor Scores:

Production Quality: 5.0
Programming and Arrangement: 9.0
Entertainment Quality: 7.0
Total: 7.0 – Good

Gerwin's Take:

There's this whole scene of indy/electro/synth pop I'm not familiar of. Cut the Red Wire is probably a typical band from this genre. They released an interesting electro-pop album. It features nine tracks with very emotional and melancholic sounds. Each track has very good melodies and harmonies—some simple, some complex—which keeps it interesting.

As you would suspect from a electro/synth/pop band, you'll hear a lot of (analog) synthesizers. The sounds and patches are good and typical, but the overall mix could be better. The tracks lack definition and warmth. Percussion is often muddy. Also, the vocals aren't clear; I find it very hard to hear the lyrics. Being Dutch, I often don't listen to English lyrics directly. You might call me a phonetic listener! Yet I do want to know what I'm listening to, but with these vocals, I couldn't make much of it. I might miss the message of the album now.

Despite the vocals and the mixing/mastering quality, the tracks are well produced and are very well composed. The melancholic sound is pretty and keeps it away from the "cheese".

My favourite tracks are "Auto-pilot-on" and "Coming Down Riding on White Clouds".