To the uninitiated, The Color Red's initial appeal will likely be the fact that the group feature two siblings of Alien Ant Farm bassist Tye Zamora within their ranks. Similarities with Alien Ant Farm end there however as the music of this Southern California based quintet is far distanced from that of their brothers, instead delving into a palpable blend of alternative hard rock that balances driving melodies with heady emotion in key with what has come to be expected of most modern rock bands currently out there jockeying for radio play.

Formulaic vocals guide the tracks forth and though they are the bands saving grace with their warm medium range and passionate delivery conveying the bulk of the emotional content of the music on hand, they are still sadly diminished by a lack of hook that is compounded by repetitive verses and overly inflated choruses. The guitar work is also standard fare with punchy distorted riffs asserting themselves when the tracks heat up while clean toned noodling, complete with a few subtle effects, fill in the gaps. Thick bass lines back up this approach and give a bit of leeway for embellishment, while also delivering a hard hitting low end that is agile enough to make room for some indulgent drumming. Still, despite the invigorating bass performance the greater share of the music is admirably kept in check by a bevy of pounding rolls and bruising snare hits that almost seem somewhat out of place as a result of their intensity, though they do increase the aggression level of the band to a higher degree.

"Clear" is an album that definitely has its work cut out for it. On one hand it has all the requisite components that make for strong radio play in this day and age, but on the other it also lacks depth and integrity, positioning itself as a dull blur of music that barely stands out to the listeners as they've pretty much heard it all before. Sure there are a few charming moments such as the occasional inclusion of strings and a few instrumental layers on a number of the songs. But all in all, "Clear" is really an album that lives up to its namesake as transparent and see through are terms that easily sum up the songs contained on this album. It's written well enough and goes through all the motions with the right steps, but without any lack of identity or variation in place this record is liable to leave listeners seeing colors far more bland rather than anything as vivid as the bands moniker suggests.