Search - Red :: Let's Not & Say We Did

Marco Aiello, the Red's lead singer and guitarist, goes for dramatic vocal effects whenever he can. He sits squarely in a flamboyant rock tradition that includes singers like Bono and Robert Plant. On Let's Not and Say We Did, he squeezes stylized emotion out of practically every note and syllable on the disc. Aiello is the kind of singer who interjects yeah's and ah's into melodies and likes to let the first word of a phrase catch in his throat before releasing it. Even on the CD's mellower tracks his singing is highly mannered. On this disc, various guest musicians back up the Red (whose members are Aiello and singer-bassist Victor Langhaar). The solid accompaniment expands on a foundation of steady acoustic guitar and bass playing. Let's Not presents polished sounds rooted in classic rock and its '90s progeny. --Nico Daumal