Thursday, September 19, 2024
If You Are Around Still is the 4th release by this Wisconsin indie rock band since 2015.
Stephen Mccabe, singer and guitarist, originally started Redshift Headlights as a solo project.
The first release under the moniker of Redshift Headlights was a solo release by Stephen recorded by Marc Golde at Rock Garden Studios.
To tour, it became a band with the additions of Dean Hoffman, Todd Farber, Jay Spanbauer, Justin Mitchell and Paul Van Auken.
I just wanted to say I was a big fan of three Fox Valley bands Stephen was in — Cookie Bug, The Lost Toothbrushes, and Rebel Waltz.
I sold a number of the previous Redshift Headlights releases at The Exclusive Company and now have the honor of doing that again in a different location because coincidentl,y as I was writing this review, Stephen dropped off vinyl copies at the Green Bay UFO Museum Gift Shop and Records so it is available now for purchase.
Stephen also traded out with the store the test pressing I had been listening to for about the last 6 weeks.
This is the second time I have reviewed a test pressing in the Vinyl Word, but the first time before I had the song titles (until the morning I wrote my review).
I have listened to this album a number of times, forward to backwards, or you could say backwards to forwards because I had no idea until the time of my review which was side A or Side B.
Redshift Headlights enlisted a super heavy weight to record this album — a legend to me and many others — Steve Albini.
This album was recorded and engineered in March 2024 by Steve Albini and Lauren Macdonald (Mac) at Electrical Audio.
Dean Hoffman and Redshift Headlights mixed it and it was mastered by Justin Perkins (the Mastering Master of Wisconsin).
Sadly, Steve Albini passed away not that long after the recording sessions for this album.
Can I hear Steve Albini’s hand, or sound, or magic touch on this album? I certainly can and I also believe I can hear that Redshift Headlights enjoyed working with Steve from their passionate playing on this album.
When first formulating my review for this release, I was going to make some references to previous bands Steve Albini worked with or was in, but instead I decided on a different direction. I live in Green Bay, so of course my view of the Wisconsin music scene is going to be a little Green Bay-centric and sometimes through rose-tinted glasses, and of course Milwaukee and Madison deserve their fair share of attention.
I do feel at times when people look at the Wisconsin music scene they sometimes don’t realize cities like Oshkosh are important now and historically in the whole grand scheme of things.
The same goes for other places like Appleton, Shawano, Stevens Point, Wausau, Eau Claire, Algoma, Kaukauna, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Sturgeon Bay, Menasha, Medford, Kenosha and Fond du Lac.
All these locals add their own ingredients to this stone soup we call the Wisconsin Music scene. In a way, I consider If You Are Around Still a love letter to and from all these locals.
Put this album on either side and you will see this band from a place that might be best known for their overalls is producing world-class music of the indie rock variety that shines even in compassion to music being produced and talked about in New York, London, Paris and Munich.
Now that I know the song titles, I can tell you my favorite songs are the very upbeat and happy “Summertime,” “Space invaders,” “All You Do is Lose,” “There’s Another,” and “If You Are Still Around.”
I especially enjoy this album because it can be soft and delicate and then roaring in your face.
I really think Steve Albini would have loved the finished product.
