Redwalls

Since emerging from the Chicago suburbs with a serious addiction to Brit pop, the Redwalls have had a particularly rocky voyage on the seas of rock 'n' roll fortune. After an indie debut, the quartet signed with Capitol, was forced to change its name (from the Pages), issued its major label breakout (De Nova), landed an array of high profile gigs (Lollapalooza; opening for Oasis in the U.K. at the request of Noel Gallagher) but finally was dropped by Capitol during label-merger mania. No matter. The Redwalls returned unscathed last fall with an eponymous slab (on Mad Dragon) boasting yet more audacious dimensions (vigorous streaks of R&B and Motown; blatant psychedelia) and a new raw energy courtesy of Swedish producer Tore Johansson. The new disc sports some raging rockers with appropriately slashing guitars, touches of glam rock, blazing swirls of big-ass riffs and shimmering hooks, and epic ballads with lush vocal harmonies. If you had to pick a single classic model for the Redwalls, it would have to be the Faces, with their rough-hewn pop/R&B/rock mix—although lead singer Logan Baren is far more Jagger than Rod Stewart. With Catfish Haven.
Thu., Feb. 14, 9 p.m., 2008