Occasionally you get a heads up on some new music from a mate to check out this band or that artist. Now that can be a bit of a double-edged sword at times, equally great to discover an exciting new talent but what if you just don’t get them or it’s all a bit flat? Difficult.

Fortunately, being introduced to the Glasgow-based punk band The Red Lite District has endeared me to not only listen to their new five-track EP Peephole on repeat, but also led to a desire to see what I suspect will be an explosive live band, once we get back to attending gigs. Have a read below and go check them out, I think you’ll be glad you did!

Artist: The Red Lite District
EP: Peephole

The five-track EP kicks off with the incendiary Killer Disco, a straight up rock track with a hint of modern Americana style punk, a blazing two minute jaunt through the underbelly of 60s Glasgow discos and dance halls following the song’s serial killer protagonist.

The band keep the foot on the gas as The Idiot arrives and departs in another 120 second blast, a real anthemic tune, punctuated with rapid-fire drums and piercing siren guitars.

The Fireman is perhaps the most polished and cohesive effort on the EP, an expansive guitar-laden track where the band take the RPMs down a notch to produce a real velvety slow-burning post-punk cracker.

A Lydonesque vocal helps kickstart Send In The Clowns, a stomping, feedback-infused, genuine punk rocker (man) which seems to increase with intensity as the song reaches its climax before it implodes with rage.

Ghosts brings matters to a close, another accomplished song which is a fraught offering, mixing static feedback akin to radio frequencies while the lyrics explore solitude and isolation.

Peephole EP and the band’s other releases are available via Bandcamp here and also through other digital platforms. You can also follow the band via their Facebook page here.

John Welsh
@welshjb