The Red Pears - “House of Mirrors”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 7

Pairs Well With…Car Seat Headrest, Arctic Monkeys, Protomartyr

Psychedelic rock, post-punk, and surf rock influences push The Red Pears’ music forward, tightly collected over their third full-length, 2021’s You Thought We Left Because The Door Was Open But We Were Waiting Outside. Note the Latin rock influence that informs much of the riffs on You Thought We Left, twisting traditional melodies into crunchy, sometimes pained territory. The Western vibes throughout the eight-track record give The Red Pears a sense of welcome nostalgia, warming jagged edges and adding beams of sunshine right into the Cali band’s garage. Lookout for their bicoastal influences too, particular to 00s NYC rock, though delivered a little looser and with their own leveled approach. (Kevin McStravick)