Customer Reviews

Burn the Good Ones Down

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Now I'd love to start off this review by saying that I've been a fan of RLA forever and ever, back when they were still performing at Bar Mitzfas on weekends, blah blah blah. But that simply isn't true. I discovered them(and am so glad I did)simply because I happened to be lucky enough to live in the coverage area of one of the only three stations to play their single "Burn the Good Ones Down," WNRN here in Virginia. (One of the two others was 99x in Atlanta, the bands hometown.) I bought this ep, and hooked(as it's hard not not to be after listening to it), I went on their website to discover that it was actually their second; they released their first ep "Under Starlight" in '04. So, ofcourse, I had to have it. After being so impressed with this album, I was surprised at my disappointment with it. The songs were long winded, seeming to go on forever, and for all that listening, you hardly got any substance. I kept thinking: "Is it possible that these two CDs came from the same group?" Yes, it is possible. And let me say, I have never heard an improvement from one album to the next this great.
As far as my actual review of this band and their work, excellent. It is basically Brit-pop(which is a bit strange considering the band is from Atlanta), but their music pushes all sorts of boundaries. Fans of any kind of rock(except perhaps rap-metal)will find something to appreciate here. From the powerful title track to the heartfelt ballad "Hide your love away" to the zany "Voltage," the CD is a musical and emotional offering that will not disappoint. The band definitely has a spiritual influence in their music(Consider their name; in many Bibles the words of Christ are printed in Red.), but is not overtly Christian. (Bands that come to mind: Creed, Good Charlotte, P.O.D., Evanescence, 12 Stones, Dashboard Confessional, etc.) But the lyrics and tunes of the songs stand without their spiritual undertones in my opinion.
In summary, to see the publicity jump from last year's "Under Starlight ep" (not even sold here on Amazon) to "Burn the Good Ones Down" signifies that these guys are destined for a big future. My advice: Get in on the ground floor. Buy this ep. And buy "Under Starlight" if you must. Really big RLA buffs might check out the 99x Christmas album, which features an RLA tune. (I'm not even quite that big of a fan myself.) In a couple of years when Red Letter Agent mania is sweeping the nation(and it will, it will), impress your friends by pulling out all your RLA CDs and telling them you've been listening for years. That's what I'll be doing...