Title: The Tide Is Turning
Format Released: 28th July 2014
Format Reviewed: Pre-release CD
Reviewed By: Dan Stoten
It's always nice to watch a band progress through time, and we at The Punk Archive have been watching Cumbrian punk outfit Colt 45 with keen interest since our birth back in February 2013. This has certainly been an exciting year for the three piece, with Camden Rocks and Download Festival appearances already under their belts, and this, their début album, due for release.
And, happily, it's a peach of a début. To me, Colt 45 have always combined an old-school punk'n'roll feel with modern touches, and The Tide Is Turning takes this theme and develops it further, delivering an exciting and catchy record.
Opener Salt Water kicks in after a short intro, before Neil's gravelly, edgy lyrics rasp over melodic guitars. It's a brooding protest song, yet one which polishes off many of the rougher edges Colt 45 had a year or so ago. Salt Water also features a good amount of instrumental time, something which is refreshing to hear and welcome when done as well as it is here.
From there, we head into single OK, which opens with a much more indie-tinged rock'n'roll start. Neil's vocal here sounds a lot smoother, almost more isolated and vulnerable, yet this chimes perfectly with the tone of the track. The chorus is incredibly catchy and once again shows the ever-growing maturity of the band. It's evident here, too, that although they've grown, they've not forgotten what makes them them, with gruffer edges and instrumental breaks still littered across the track. OK is certainly a single which wouldn't sound out of place on many commercial radio stations.
I Thought I Knew Best opens with a brilliantly old-school feel, but then develops into a truly stunning melodic punk song. The vocals here are layered superbly, with the gruffer edges again smoothed off. It's a track which feels like it's constantly galloping on, urging the listener to move in ever-more energetic fashion to it's soaring yet sharp melodies. It's a track which presents in three and a half minutes exactly what Colt 45 are all about. Catchy, melodic punk'n'roll with modern and past influences. You can tell it's going to be a live favourite.
The album then moves into 595. On first listen, it would be easy to think this song sounds similar to those before it, but on second and third, the intricacies of the track are revealed. Neil's held vocals here are a real highlight, displaying a depth previously unseen from the band. There's a good lesson here, too, with "why do we worry / about the things we can't control" being the message in the chorus.
A highlight for me is The Simple Things Are Working, which opens with a stunningly melancholy melody before dropping gently into a similarly soothing chorus. It's a beautiful track, showing the dexterity Colt 45 now have. It's not a hard-rocking song, but it is one which it's impossible to not appreciate. It's also the song you can find the line which makes the album title. It's a straight-up five-star song.
The album continues in a similarly excellent vein for the rest of it's five tracks. Time Will Tell is a song to stomp along to, with it's bouncy beat and protest lyrics, while Lessons Must Be Learned takes a slightly softer tack. When We Sleep Alone sounds a much more upbeat song with it's increased speed and upbeat revs. It's a love song from the streets, a rough-edged ballad with punchy guitar and drums thrown in.
Found My Home, too, is another stand-out track. One thing this record is, throughout, is passionate and heartfelt, a truly genuine piece of music. It's a feel I really got from Found My Home, too.
To summarise, what we have here is a polished (but not too polished) record from a fast-maturing, genuinely exciting, heartfelt UK punk band. It's a stunning début and an album not to be missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment