MannequinThe Red Stains
Punk, a genre in which you go all out, or go home. A genre closely associated with anarchy and challenging creative preconceptions. In recent memory the mainstream has left traditional Punk behind and replaced it with teen angst Punk, bands like Green Day, All time Low, etc. It has the same passion but lacks the punch and chaos of early Punk. So instead, fans of the genre must dig deep into the underground music circuit to feed their appetite for anarchy and rebellion. Step up, The Red Stains.
With only one year under their belts as a band the four piece from Manchester, UK released their first single, Mannequin. Released on April 24th this year it has quickly gathered a faithful and devout following in the Manchester music scene. On social media, The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess even took to Twitter to declare them ‘a band to listen to’. An endorsement that carries some weight. The song is a great example of the bands controlled chaos and fiery intentions.
Opening with a steady bass line performed by Sterling Kelly, it is soon joined by a tentative, yet unusual synth stab performed by Ella Powell. This sound slowly builds to create an expectant atmosphere, making you feel that you are about to hear something different. As the synth reaches its peak, the steady yet off beat drum pattern kicks in, performed by Ben Dutton, and at the same time is joined by a dirty guitar, also performed by Ella Powell, that weaves in between the other instruments adding to the distinctive intent of the music.
Finally, over all of this is laid the distinctive and unapologetic vocals of Natalie Emslie who pours her passion into each word and slowly digs deeper and deeper into that passion as the song goes on. The end result is that as the song reaches its climax, all features are going full throttle and each note, word, and thrum bleeds old school punk.
On the songs message The Red Stains describe Mannequin as…
‘….a punk-fuelled two fingers in the face of objectification….’
In keeping with the essence of Punk the lyrics take on a sarcastic, tongue in cheek meaning while still getting its message across. “….a plastic princess…” or “….I’m a doll, use me…..” These lyrics paint an uncomfortable picture of objectification and yet delivered in such a way that Natalie is daring anyone to use those words in her presence. Also her stark description of “….Blow job lips and a poison tongue….” Again two phrases heavily associated with how some parts of society describe woman add to the intention of the band to recapture Punks unique ability to make you feel liberated and yet uncomfortable at the same time.
Overall the track is a great leaping off point for this band and unabashedly announces The Red Stains mission to the world. We will tell our own story, so try and stop us. Fans of Punk and raw production quality will definitely want to add this track to your favourites list and if you just fancy something that’ll take you out of your comfort zone, I don’t think you could get any closer than this.
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