COLD MOON - WHAT'S THE RUSH?
Cold Moon follow up on the success of their EP rising with this highly recommended feature album, and it is clear from the first listen that they are an experienced group with a lot to accomplish.
What’s The Rush? is the debut LP from Californian quartet Cold Moon, and it is clear from the first listen that they are an experienced group with a lot to accomplish. Despite the band’s relatively recent arrival onto the music scene, the group itself displays a consistently high standard with each track. This collective experience can be attributed to rhythm guitarist Will Levy’s membership of The Story So Far and drummer Mike Ambrose being a former member of Set Your Goals. It is therefore no surprise that the 9-track album delivers a mature style of indie rock that is relentlessly uplifting and continues to surprise with each listen. As a variety of creatively different styles blend together, we are left with a sound that is fresh and inspired.
What’s The Rush? is a well-balanced combination of musical styles. Energetic guitar rhythms are contrasted against powerful vocals that channel and direct the music. The group had originally started out as an instrumental group, and this experimental and constructionist style, according to Levy, was pivotal to the cultivation of an album composed of music that sounded organic and authentic. Cold Moon’s creative process encapsulates the process of, “Let’s jam and see what happens!” and this method has proven wildly successful for the band.
The single ‘Simpletons’ effectively shifts through dynamic riffs and introspective lyrics before bringing them enmeshing them in a sound that is persistently upbeat and cheerfully optimistic, yet classically post rock grungy way. There is synthesis, without the accusation of being formulaic. This constructionist approach makes the track feel relaxed and natural, guiding the listener through the shifting contours of mood and emotional intensity. Such emotions can be delicate and subtle, it is only by listening that you can find a deeper sympathy for these authentic emotions and the connection it fosters between this and the band itself.
While Cold Moon specialise in instrumental musical production, lyrics are also meaningful and poetic, as much as they contribute to the sonic quality of the album. In ‘Lost’, the narrator’s cries of despondency and need for escapism are intensely experienced through lyrics such as “Always lying face down,” or “Know my legs will run further,” these honest and vulnerable reflections are powerfully bleak. The emphasis on monosyllabic words further adds to this grounded atmosphere of directionless singularity. Although at times the vocal intonations are reminiscent of whiny pop-punk singers, it is not enough to become irritating. However, by the end of the song these meanings are transformed by the growth of the musical energy. “Moreover, thank you for staying. / Roads lead to new ways,/Find peace on new plains.” The lyrics move forward with swift intention, the brevity of these concluding lines, suggesting that the pain is temporary and new beginnings will always be just around the corner.
Cold Moon have utilised their collective experience to deliver a strong album that feels balanced and complex. Their sense of identity, which is strong, is conveyed through their sound. Their playfully experimental exploration of sound and vocals is sure to make this album an enjoyable piece for indie rock listeners.
George Starkie
★★★★☆