Contributor’s Note: I have been a Cold fan for a very long time. I’m sure not as long as some people, but ever since I first heard them play on a show way back in the day called farmclub.com, I was sure to get my hands on as much of their music as I could. It took 6 long years of waiting to get from A Different Kind of Pain to Superfiction, even though there was The Killer and the Star project in there that did help fill the void. Now, after an even longer wait of 8 years and an entire line-up change, Cold has released their newest album, The Things We Can’t Stop. This is my track by track review and grading of this album; I have only heard two songs so far, so this will be my first take on most of these songs and I am both excited and anxious to hear what else is in store.
Intro
Something interesting and new here. Cold has never had an Intro on any of their previous albums. I do think this foreshadows a little bit of the album and leads right into the next track really well. Grade: N/A
Shine
The first song released from the album, and the first song I heard. I was not all that thrilled upon my first listen of it, but when I actually sat and listened again things changed. This is what I love about Cold; they can take an issue that a fan has and put it into a song that has a deep meaning and a powerful message. The raw emotion is incredible. If you need another example of something like this, check out the song Sad Happy off of Year of the Spider. Grade: 8/10
Snowblind
There is a lot of interesting stuff right off the bat on this album. This is an older song that must have finally gotten the recording and release it really deserves. I don’t really have much for words for this song other than it is absolutely amazing. Grade: 10/10
The Devil We Know
This is a bit of an interesting one to me as well. I feel there are some political undertones to it, and I’ve never really considered Cold to be too much of a political band, which is why I think I could definitely be WAY off in that assumption. Musically this song almost sounds like something that could be found on the Killer and The Star album, which I appreciate fully, althoughI feel it may not be one of my favorite tracks on the album. Grade:6/10
Run (Snow Patrol cover)
I had to relisten to this song a couple of times (call me a cheater if you must), because I didn’t realize at first that it was a Snow Patrol cover. The clean guitar opening this song sounds amazing. Then it starts to sound even better when the rest of the instruments and finally Scooter’s amazing voice joins in. The original song already kind of sounds like a Cold song to me, so it didn’t take much for them to do a really solid cover here. I would actually be very interested in hearing an acoustic version of this song. Grade: 7/10
Better Human
I really love the sound of the piano in this song right from the opening notes. I feel the message in this song is significant. To me, it is basically saying we are all broken in our own ways, but being broken is okay. Stand up, treat everyone with love and respect and let’s fix the world. The ending vocals by Charlotte Freeman (not totally sure who that is, if it’s someone’s daughter or what. If someone knows, please let me know) really help to add to the song as well. Grade: 8/10
Without You
This is one of, if not the, closest things musically to 13 Ways To Bleed On Stage that I’ve heard from Cold in a while. This just sounds so much like vintage Cold to me, and I love that. The only difference is I don’t feel the paranoia or drug influence in the lyrics, which seems to make them more impactful. Such a catchy chorus too; I just want more of this. Grade: 9/10
Quiet Now
This seems like a song about losing someone, and how it has been too quiet now without that person. It’s sometimes amazing how much we can miss the simplest of noises or nuances until we no longer have them. Scooter really belts out the chorus and makes you feel the emotions he is feeling. There is a little guitar solo after the second verse, which isn’t going to amaze many people, but it was smart putting it in, as it fills out the song nicely. Grade: 7/10
The One That Got Away
Not sure what it is, but there’s not much special that I like in this song. To me, it primarily feels like a filler song; that’s not to say it’s a bad song because it’s not at all bad. I just feel pretty ‘meh’ about it upon first listen. I feel there is a strong meaning behind the lyrics which I intend to figure out. Overall, a pretty average song. Grade: 5/10
Systems Fail
I’m not crazy about the chorus of this song. I wish there was more than just one line to it. The guitar work is really good throughout this song thanks to Johnny Nova (be sure to check out Nick Coyle and Johnny Nova’s other project called Death Valley Dreams). Seems kind of like another filler song to me, so I’m hoping the album ends strong with the last two tracks. Grade: 6/10
Beautiful Life
There is just something so powerful about Scooter Ward’s voice with just a piano or an acoustic guitar that allows me to really get lost in my own little utopia. The mixture of piano and strings in this song are amazing. I almost feel like the guitars and drums coming in halfway through is too aggressive for this track; I think it would have been better left with just the piano and some strings. Grade: 9/10
We All Love
Ok. I was not expecting someone other than Scooter to be singing on any of these songs. Nick Coyle’s voice is amazing. This song is beautiful in its simplicity stripped down to just Nick and Scooter’s voices and a piano. Some amazing piano work done on these last couple of tracks, and definitely a great way to close out the album. Grade: 10/10
Final Thoughts and Grade: There’s really not much that is going to stop Scooter and Cold from putting out quality music. The band has really evolved and matured, and I have to keep reminding myself that they’re not necessarily a hard rock band any more. This is a really solid album that I will probably be listening to for quite a while. Do please keep in mind that these grades are based on my initial listening of most of the tracks and will more than likely fluctuate upon further listening.
Overall Grade: 7.7/10
Cold have some tour dates with Awake For Days coming up to support “The Things We Can’t Stop”. Check out the tour dates below:
Wed. 10/2- Jake’s Backroom in Lubbock, Texas
Fri. 10/4- Herman’s Hideaway in Denver, Colorado
Sat. 10/5- Mesa Theater in Grand Junction, Colorado
Sun. 10/6- Sunshine Studios Live in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Tue. 10/8- The Bourbon in Lincoln, Nebraska
Thu. 10/10- The Eclectic Room in Angola, Indiana
Fri. 10/11- Q&Z Expo Center in Ringle, Wisconsin
Sat. 10/12- 1175 Sports Eatery in Kansasville, Wisconsin
Sun. 10/13- Bottom Lounge in Chicago, Illinois
Wed. 10/16- The Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois
Fri. 10/18- The Vogue in Indianapolis, Indiana
Sat. 10/19- The City Center in Champaign, Illinois
Sun. 10/20- Cosmic Charlie’s in Lexington-fayette, Kentucky
Tue. 10/22- Aftershock Live Music Venue in Merriam, Kansas
Wed. 10/23- Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Fri. 10/25- TAK Music Venue in Dilworth, Minnesota
Sun. 10/27- Pub Station in Billings, Montana
Thu. 10/31- Brick By Brick in San Diego, California
Sat. 11/2- Tempe Marketplace in Tempe, Arizona
Tue. 11/5- Wed. 11/6- Viper Room in West Hollywood, California
For tickets and further information, click here.
Fans can find COLD at the following locations:
