Since the mid-'90s, California's the Color Red has been plying its rock trade mostly under the radar. But Clear, the band's first release since 2000's Below the Under, should up the quintet's visibility. Smacking of Tool meets Disturbed with a strong pop sensibility, Clear's dozen songs are dramatic, but not overwrought, segueing smoothly from somnolent to edgy, often within one song. From the moody yet dynamic "The Other One" to "Wrong Replacement," which begins gently before morphing into an intense chorus, the Color Red prove themselves strong writers. Clear should help the Color Red turn platinum. --Katherine Turman
