{"id":34000,"date":"2025-09-19T07:57:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T05:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addtowantlist.com\/?p=34000"},"modified":"2025-09-19T07:43:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T05:43:03","slug":"album-review-the-prize-in-the-red","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addtowantlist.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/19\/album-review-the-prize-in-the-red\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: The Prize || In The Red"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s here! It\u2019s finally here! Even with the flood of stellar power pop releases in recent years, I can\u2019t think of a debut full-length I\u2019ve been anticipating more than In The Red<\/em> by The Prize. The Melbourne five-piece teased us with their 2022 debut 7″ Wrong Side of Town<\/em><\/a>, the follow-up First Sight<\/em><\/a>, and their 2024 split with The Unknowns<\/a>. Rather than rushing, they took their time to get this one right\u2014and you can hear that patience paying off.<\/p>\n

The Prize\u2019s triple-guitar setup is a weapon, not a gimmick. Instead of blending into a blur, the interplay feels like a friendly competition, each guitarist throwing down lines too good to cut, resulting in skyscrapers of riffs stacked beneath soaring hooks. Sure, this is power pop, but In The Red<\/em> also veers confidently into hook-heavy hard rock and classic rock territory\u2014this is power pop for Thin Lizzy devotees.<\/p>\n

The dynamic of drummer Nadine Muller sharing lead vocals with guitarist Carey Paterson adds range and spark, while the gang vocals remain intact. From the Night<\/em> recalls the glammy punch of later Donnas, Don\u2019t Need Em<\/em> piles up guitar parts until you want to drop to your knees and declare \u201cwe\u2019re not worthy!\u201d, and other tracks split the difference between The Nerves\u2019 stripped-down snap and Cheap Trick\u2019s arena-sized flair. The whole record brims with moments that make you crank the volume, bang your head, punch the air or flail along with imaginary instruments.<\/p>\n

Patience paid off, and in the meantime The Prize weren\u2019t exactly idle\u2014touring relentlessly and releasing top-shelf side projects via The States<\/a> and Loose Lips<\/a>. But In The Red<\/em> is the main event, and it\u2019s a knockout.<\/p>\n

Out now on Anti Fade and Goner Records.<\/p>\n