Audrey Horne - Redemption Blues

The 90s were a hell of a time to be alive. I mean, I’m guessing that was the case, having been a tender babe through the vast majority of it, but there’s no doubting that some true cultural touchstones found their way out of the decade amongst all the grunge and awful denim combos. One of those icons of the era was Twin Peaks, simultaneously the best and worst television show ever created for a multitude of reasons, each one of them weirder than the last. Don’t take that as slander, either; I love Twin Peaks with all my weird little heart, and the late, great David Lynch has inspired more rock and roll than the first person to discover you could pair hard drugs with sexy people. 

Named for the eponymous character in the show, the band we are featuring as our esteemed Rock Song of the Week pick this time out have encountered their own twists and swings, though arguably a little more George Lynch than David. Abandoning their post-grunge debutant sound from their foundation in 2002 for something a lot lighter later down the road, the Norwegians swerved the formula towards a classic rock sound, bordering on Thin Lizzy and 80s Iron Maiden. It’s a heck of a tonal shift from albums three to four if you’re going through chronologically, but arguably (by me) they’re a lot better at the latter than the former (commercially, too, it would seem). It’s speedball hard rock at its absolute catchiest, full of big vocal flair and dual-guitar riff work that complements thundering hard rock drums like garmonbozia complements sorrow. You’re going to have to watch the show to even get the slightest idea what that means.  

Which brings us nicely to exactly what I have just been talking about in Redemption Blues, a track with all of the hallmarks and lots of fun ideas of its own. It might not be Fire Walk with Me’s unsettling and excruciating declines into darkness, but it proves that Season Two’s pine weasel-themed fashion show can still fit into the big picture. Once again, I am at great pains to even begin to understand why Twin Peaks is how it is.