Red [Enhanced]

This is a glorious collection of songs, wonderfully inventive and diverse and moodier than the first album, at times brighter and louder. However, this acts as both a strength and a weakness; with such a variety of songs it's hard to get bored as the album shifts through world/ bollywood style, to dub, and then the 'safer' straight pop-songs. Yet the album lacks cohesion, feeling like a compilation of several different bands rather than just one. It shows a very talented band, but one that doesn't want to be pigeon-holed, to the point where they shy away from the style at which they are best. At times it feels like quality gives way to experimentation, and that's a shame because with the right balance this album would be simply stunning. The better tracks on the album are the ones that are simple and free of too much experimenting.

This album will only sound better with repeated listens. 'Falling Out of Reach' and the funky 'Big Dog' catch straight away, as does 'Words', but the other songs have more depth. Yet it may not be an album that you will want to listen to straight through, instead skipping some of the tracks that aren't as accessible due to their style. If you're just discovering the Guillemots then begin with their first album and then look at this one. It's good, but not as breathtaking as the first nor as epic. 3.5 stars.

Guillemots are a very talented bunch, there's no question about that, but finding a direction for their creativity is evidently a problem, because this album is all over the place. While some people may revel in the diversity of this release, I can't help feeling that it lacks coherence as a result. Everything is thrown in here - rock, disco, funk, ballads, drum 'n' bass, obligatory plinky-plonky sounds... they're on their second album and, unfortunately, almost descending into self-made cliché. If I'd have been sequencing the album, I'd have probably left the immense, menacing 'Kriss Kross' until the very last track because, as the opening song, it is so brilliant, everything else on the album pales in comparison.

Although there are quite a few really good tracks on this album (specifically, the rather gorgeous 'Falling Out Of Reach', the infuriatingly catchy 'Get Over It' , the drifting, expansive 'Words' and the lovely last track 'Take Me Home') there are also some very ordinary and unremarkable songs which bring the overall feel of 'Red' down somewhat and, given the ability of the group, you can be forgiven for feeling disappointed that they haven't followed 'Through The Window Pane' with something a little better than this. Indeed, there are still some songs on this album which I'm not sure are good or not - 'Cockateels', for example - and some where the eclectic arrangement destroys the potentially great song, such as 'Don't Look Down', which merely descends into a barely-listenable mess. Fyfe and the group are obviously having fun and producing some fun music, but there were moments on their debut which really took you somewhere different, almost other-worldly, emotionally, and 'Red', as accomplished as it may be, just doesn't do that.

I'd say that it is just about worth buying for the handful of the better songs on this album and, especially, 'Kriss Kross'. That particular song has to be heard to be believed. I suppose that I just had higher expectations for this album and have had my hopes dashed a little. Don't worry, I'll get over it.

A generous four stars for the album's undeniable highlights.

i was lucky enough to hear a promo copy of this and all i can say is....Wow! It is absolutely stunning. This album is a glittering behemoth of pop gems. They've still kept their eclectic edge - managing to fit in stompy disco beats, gorgeous oriental strings and ridiculously catchy vocals - plus a couple more or those spine-tingling love songs they do so well. 'Red' is feistier, darker and slicker than the first album, but retains those genius musical twists that make them so original. This is going to be one of the most brilliant, inventive pop albums of 2008.