Red’s Motel has spent the better part of the last year brewing up their debut album, Chapters End. The band, led by the enigmatic Red Hawes, is a three-piece indie/alternative rock act based in Maryland who have been making plenty of waves in their local scene, including some stints at Ram’s Head and Merriweather Post Pavilion. Their hard work and grinding has paid off; Chapters End is a stunning offering of riff-driven alternative rock with an emphasis on interesting compositions, nimble fingerwork, and endearing melody.
The album opens with the epic and cinematic instrumental “The Curse I Bear.” Here, the band flexes some post-rock muscle, pairing ethereal guitar work, moaning swells, and chunky blasts of distortion to set the mood for the entire album. It acts as a wonderful crescendo, slowly building into something more and more epic before blending seamlessly into song two, “Amber Ashes.” On “Ashes”, the band truly shows off the hallmarks of Red’s Motel’s sound – falling somewhere in the musical spectrum between math rock, Midwest emo, and a more straightforward alternative rock, “Ashes” layers Mesa Rectifier (TM) distortion tones overtop a rolling bassline and sloshing drum energy. The band makes interesting chord choices, not being afraid to lean into sounds that in any other instance might sound discordant or raw – here, they just sound interesting and refreshing.
Song three, the title-track (and third single), starts out with a pleasant palm muted progression. Bringing to mind second wave emo acts like Have Mercy, Head North, and Moose Blood, Red’s Motel leans heavily into more emotional influences here:
“When I reach the end of your chapter, I must move onto the next. There will always be a place for you.”
While I wouldn’t classify Red’s Motel as outright “emo,” some of the best moments on the album have that jangly, longing feel that you’d expect coming out of a packed and sweaty basement venue. Think the impassioned “whoa-oh’s” of album closer, “Your Memory’s A Blessing.”
One of Chapters Ends’ strongest elements is the interesting riffs that are peppered throughout the album. The second verse of “Nights at the Station” is a highlight – start/stop drums highlight a flurry of quick-fretted riffs that flitter in and out of your headphones. There’s the deceptively catchy intro riff of “Blink of an Eye” – a recurring motif that gives way to jazzy 7th chords before creeping back into your consciousness seemingly at random. Even when the guitars aren’t playing blistering leads, Red’s Motel find a way to squeeze in the hooks – the stabbing chords found in “Another Saturday” are another sneaky earworm.
There is A LOT to dive into here on Chapters End, so much so that one might not know where to start. Luckily, there’s something here for everyone – fans of lighter pop-punk fare might enjoy the Knuckle Puck-esque chugging found on “Chameleon.” Fans of prog rock will love the challenging 5/4 (I think?) time signature on the angular “Husk,” or the seven-minute epic “Handwritten Therapy” that could hold up next to any late-era Coheed and Cambria song. There’s even something for the lovers of slow burners – the heartbreaking “Somewhere in Between” might find you deep in your feelings. You may even want to check out Red’s Motel’s single picks – besides the aforementioned title-track, the brooding “Scars” or the upbeat jauntiness of “Better Off” are perfect places to start.
Chapters End is out on April 30th, 2024. You can learn all about the band via their website, or, find all the different ways to support Red’s Motel via this helpful link.