Immediately laying down the needle to this new LP by the Cold Stares, this listener feels the great kinetic energy and technical prowess of a classic and dynamic hard rock album. A beautiful listen from start to finish, Heavy Shoes fills the room with a stirring sense of rock joy. The title track “Heavy Shoes” brews with compelling lead guitar riffs, distortion pedals and all, tight, riveting bass lines, and lightning laced percussion.
URL: https://www.thecoldstares.com/
Such a collective of gifted spirits, one cannot believe that this sterling output of sound and sonic brilliance churns from just two guys, as a duet, Chris Tapp and Brain Mullins, who began this journey over a decade ago in 2010. If you’re living in Sweden or Denmark and caught one of their shows in July promoting the drop of their new LP, I’m sure you were blown away, and filled with satisfaction. Quite a dynamic duo, they really know how to deliver a show of boundless ambition, music refreshing and ethereal, balanced, and lovely to listen to.
The album changes speeds and tempos and presents the band’s gift of creating songs with freedom and clarity. Breathtaking in scope, Heavy Shoes takes the listener on a ride back to the days of Iron Maiden, Soundgarden and classic White Stripes. Songs like “Take This Body From Me” and “Hard Times” spell the all-encompassing message of finding freedom from the pressures, trials, and strife of real life. It’s in the lyrics you’ll want to escape with this band, and find hope, a new light to rise above the struggles and worries in life, eager to succeed to a higher level.
Cold Stares takes the heartbroken soul on a journey to new self-worth and fulfillment. “In The Nighttime” is another portrait of Cold Stares seeking a fresh vision, a river of newfound hope, battling, and conquering the fear of fallen streets. Each song is perfectly placed to a proper order, shifting tempos, making Heavy Shoes more satisfying and enticing with each new listen. I’m blown away by the band’s most delightful brew of creative wit in the composing of each track. Super fun to dance to, and brilliantly balanced in production and mastering, the band’s performance is quite cohesive and strong in lyrical and sonic quality.
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They are perfect for any bar or night club, and certainly merit some attention on college campus shows and small arenas. Cold Stares strike a passionate chord with the mesmerizing melodies and catchy, resonating choruses they so smoothly convey. They even dabble in their blues roots with “Prosecution Blues” and many reverent fans’ ears will smile as they let lead guitars of juicy pentatonic jams sink in. The last chorus segues into a crafty outro and finale that leaves one breathless. “It’s Game” is highly imaginative in their ability to create a verse in a tricky and charming time signature, following into an even more sterling chorus hook, with a guitar riff that demands recognition, spun eloquently within the realm of the great Eric Clapton. Perhaps through this album, mesmerizing in shade and scope, Cold Stares have broken new ground in the local rock scene. Surely, they can be considered a legendary staple in their area.
Claire Uebelacker