As the dust begins to settle on the Strokes-led indie rock revolution, Loudermilk is at the forefront of a new alternative wave, breaking free from the Vines/Hives/Rival Schools amalgam with searing, Smashing-Pumpkins-esque vocals.
The Red Record is simultaneously massive and specific in its lyrical imagery and sonic textures, fusing sweeping, swirling guitars and reverberating percussion with searing, angular riffs. Their lyrical complexity borders on incomprehensibility, yet more often reveals emotional depth through vivid imagery of desecration and heartbreak. Even when the lyrics tend to delve into gruesome images of internal organs, the catchy rhythm makes the track enjoyable.
Loudermilk is also able to break out of the intro songs' hard-rock mold with more contemplative cuts including the precise, piano-driven "97 Ways to Kill a Superhero" and the sorrowful yet peaceful "Attached at the Mouth." Adding to the diversity of the album are the punk rock, toe-tapping "Rock 'n' Roll and the Teenage Desperation" and"Elekt," which has a"Bullet with Butterfly Wings"-esque coda, echoing the Pumpkin's past and foreshadowing Loudermilk's future.
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