“Red Eye Open Sky” is the latest released by The Pulltops, an exceptional duo based in Milwaukee. It’s their seventh piece of work in 2024, arriving after the critically acclaimed “Sight Lines” and an entire collection of marvelous singles like “Ain’t Home Anymore,” “Mission Control,” “Waiting Here,” “3-2-1 Go,” and “Here We Are.” If you somehow missed our previous writings about this excellent band, you might need to know that these folks are not joking around with their music, and like their previous recordings, “Red Eye Open Sky” exemplifies their dedication to the craft. As usual, The Pulltops deliver premium vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers wisely stacked over perfect song structure. Sonically, they explore everything you dearly love about alternative and indie rock music but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon some power pop, pop rock, synth rock, and ambient rock elements along the way. These additional sonic ingredients are carefully and subtly implemented into the song’s core, so they might not be notable at first. Still, the layers reveal themselves as you dive deeper into this track. Lyrically, “Red Eye Open Sky” explores the late-night solitude while being on the open road, where every mile gets you closer to love, but still reminds you of the emptiness left behind. The Pulltops thought about the sonic and lyric aspects of their latest song, making “Red Eye Open Sky” such a pleasant listening experience suitable not only for alternative and indie rock fans but for anyone looking for cleverly assembled and flawlessly performed music.
The vocals are the first detail you’ll notice on this epic sonic journey. As usual, The Pulltops deliver marvelous vocal performance, empowered by equally superb back vocals and singalongs. The passionate, sincere, confident, powerful vocal harmonies command attention and guide the listening apparatus from scratch to finish. These vocal maneuvers emphasize each note and beat with such precision and finesse, decorating everything The Pulltops tried to achieve with “Red Eye Open Sky.” The impressive vocal range seamlessly balances low, mid, and high notes, gliding about all those guitar works and rhythmic patterns seamlessly. In the meantime, subtly distorted, tastefully assembled, expertly performed chord progressions and riffs fight for dominance while shaping such a perfect backdrop for all those vocal maneuvers to shine upon. You’ll also notice how delicate slide guitars lurk around, spicing things up and elevating everything on an entirely new level while the generous servings of studio reverb give that calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal vibes usually heard in shoegaze, indie, and dream pop tracks. This interplay between rhythm and guitar creates an echoic atmosphere where each strum, note, and chord progression shine in the limelight, creating such a perfect soundscape that immediately grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go long after this song ends.
The Pulltops are one of those bands who pay attention to everything while writing, composing, arranging, and producing music, so if the guitars act as an adequate backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon, then the rhythm section serves as a backbone, holding everything together marvelously. There’s a low-end undercurrent lurking beneath the guitar layers, propelling those instrumentations to new heights with intricate, audible, warm-sounding basslines. These excellent orchestrations bind guitars with rhythmic patterns while offering more than necessary heaviness, clarity, and depth. The exceptional drumming keeps everything organized through tastefully assembled, marvelously performed, well-accentuated drumbeats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. These rhythmic sequences also dictate groove and pace, ensuring more than necessary groove and dynamics. As you can see, The Pulltops thought about even the tiniest details and nuances while writing, composing, arranging, and producing this magnificent alternative rock track. “Red Eye Open Sky” arrives with a perfect structure, adorned with brilliant ideas, and excellent musicianship, making this composition such a pleasant listening experience worth repeating over and over again. The Pulltops are one of the finest alternative rock duos you’ll stumble upon on the contemporary scene and their music deserves your utmost attention. This number is a perfect introduction to their sound, as all those marvelous vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers immediately force you to deep dive into the remainder of the discography. It’s a song you surely don’t want to miss. “Red Eye Open Sky” is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!
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