offer crackling fire-like ambiance across their ‘Big Sur’ album. With poisonous lyricism it felt like peeling off a fragile label, a deep confession only surfacing at one’s breaking point. Desperation trails across the album, and the emotional urgency in the instruments and vocals create an unforgettable listening experience. 

In every growl and scream the pain can be experienced from within – the softness of ‘Isn’t he funny’ almost feeling like a slight relief despite the lyrics, vocals a contrast to as the drums start to build up.

There’s a guitar heavy element to the piece that creates room for Big Red to twist and bend their sound to align with what they want to communicate, and it’s used as a language for the audience to latch onto for support through the storm ‘Big Sur’ projects. 

The transition from ‘Big Sur pt.1’ to ‘Big Sur pt.2’ was incredibly sophisticated, lazy guitar and percussion merging the energy of both songs – pt.2 setting up the tone for the end of the album. Throughout the project a dirty grunge-like production quality allowed the fragility of the vocalist’s voice to bleed through – especially in songs like ‘The Creek’, which consistently gave the group permission to plead without restraint. 

A stand out quality in ‘Big Sur’ as an art piece is the rawness and lack of over-production. Each choice implemented into the album aligns with the imagery Big Red wants listeners to have during the listening process – imagery of longing and hopeless vulnerability. 

Taken as a whole ‘Big Sur’ is such a mentally encapsulating project it could well have the strength to leave someone paralysed. It comes across as a mental spiral, and Big Red do not spare the emotions of listeners within it. 

8/10