Labels: self released
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Here we have 30 minutes of good old solid indie rock, although the promo says “punk influenced rock and roll”. That makes it sound a whole lot more lively and edgey than it is, as this is pretty safe stuff. That’s not a knock on it, the music is well constructed, and has a workman-like solidity to it that is born out of the 1990s, when bands were more than happy to sound like this. In 2010, putting together a bustling, 3 minute tune and maintaining a steady pace for an entire album is kind of frowned upon. Not by me of course, I have plenty of time for bands like the Cold Beat belting out decent tunes, it just doesn’t stand out that much, and suffers from “local band syndrome”. If you are buddies with these dudes, you will have an almighty good time hanging out, shooting the shit, drinking beers and singing along, but once removed from such an intimate atmosphere, the Cold Beat become just another blue collar indie rock band. A good one, just not a great one. Folk in this band have knocked around in Lock and Key as well as Dan Webb and the Spiders, so they are not raw and nubile, and perhaps that’s why they have wound up with such a solid album that’s no great shakes but doesn’t remotely disappoint either. Enjoyed.