Red Knife Lottery – Soiled Soul & Rapture – Review

Release Date: August 11th, 2009
Record Label: Uprising Records
Genre: Alternative Rock

After getting wind of Red Knife Lottery from their debut EP “So Much Drama,” I was getting pretty excited to hear their first full-length “Soiled Soul & Rapture.” Coming from the diverse stable of Uprising Records, I wasn’t too surprised to find out they considered themselves Rock/Soul/Alternative. What I was hoping for was another album that could be looped and offered to friends who are interested, instead of something that was simply over-hyped. The second of which is sadly the norm now-a-days.

From the get go, I wanted to share that Red Knife Lottery isn’t a Paramore rip-off. I felt I had to mention this, as everyone after Hayley Williams has had to match the bar in terms of female led bands (most don’t make it). Ashley Chapman, the lead singer of this Milwaukee five-piece, does have the spunky demeanor of Hayley, but her vocals are more closely related to an old school No Doubt Gwen Stefanie (with extra spunk thrown in for good measure). It must be known that Ashley’s voice is talented and graceful with respect to traditional melody and octaves. My only problem is when she goes from singing to throat clenching shouts that make her voice turn, from harmonious, to nails on a chalk board. “Soiled Soul & Rapture” spends a lot of time being pulled along by her vocals, as they take center stage for most of the record, which is why I felt they deserved focused review.

Let’s introduce the other half of Red Knife Lottery, which consists of Chris Hansen (no, not To Catch A Predator),  Joe Kanack, Dan Yingling, and Ryan Smith. They bring fuzzy guitars, synthy keys, and the standard bass and drums to “Soiled Soul & Rapture.” You will find that Red Knife Lottery‘s “alternative rock”, which boarders on jazzy punk, is fast paced enough for fans of ska and punk, as well as having enough flair for those who enjoy theatrical rock. Also, Chris and Dan provide a selection of manic fretwork that matches the frantic thoughts and lyrics coming from Ashley’s mouth, even if there is smoggy reverb in most of their tracking.

“Soiled Soul & Rapture” didn’t really fulfill my building expectations, but they got pretty close. Outstanding vocals from Ashley Chapman and creative guitars make this record something to look into. But stabs at high-pitched shouts and layers of reverberation covering most of Red Knife Lottery‘s instruments, only short change what could have been a more complete and cohesive album in the end. ~Staff

Score: 3/5

Track Listing:
1. Holy Skirts
2. Raise No Fool
3. Moral Fixation
4. Hip Bruisers
5. The Artist Is Nothing
6. Shapeshifter
7. Junkie Jazz
8. Gwsw
9. Jack
10. The Good Land