Don Palabraz

The pure poetry of singer-songwriter Josh Hanson is accentuated by tightly interwoven arrangements on Four Steps in Corsets, the debut EP from OC’s premiere indie folk-rockers Yellow Red Sparks. Released by ORG Music, the reflective, melancholic tone of heartache throughout the album makes for a compelling listen. A trio of accomplished musicians with Goldy (drums/vocals) and Sara Lynn (upright bass, piano, vocals, banjo) accompanying Hanson, Yellow Red Sparks find all the right melodies and rhythms on all of the songs. A stripped down soul emerges from intricate musical tapestries.

Four Steps in Corsets is acoustic at its core and starts off strumming on “My Machine Gun.” The chorus ups the rock ante before a guitar solo slinks down into upright bass groove with clackety drums as Hanson sings, “Bonnie don’t you worry about me though / I’ve never been free / No not really.”

Read the rest of the review on my latest OC Weekly Heard Mentality Blog post:

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2012/06/local_record_review_four_steps.php