Goodbye To All That
Cold Blood Club
5:34 min • Mother West • July 2, 2013
John Preston reviews
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Cold Blood Club, who are currently supporting Future Bible Heroes in the small tour of New York, are a large in number, male and female Brooklyn-based ensemble. Previously their sound was predominately electronic of the grimier indie variety but with a few live instruments thrown in for good measure. ‘Goodbye To All That’ plays down the synths and turns up the jangly guitar and combined with a beautiful, live string refrain ends up with the kind of big, warm sound associated with those other sprawling, multi membered bands such as Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene and Stars. Similar lyrical themes also associated with those groups are covered here too; growing up and growing out of friends, a romantic outlook, the city versus small town living and relationships of the overwhelmingly dysfunctional variety.
Male lead vocals from Tom Stuart are unexpected with the majority of last year’s very good, raucous and manic EP ‘Headlines and Firefights’ being performed by the dynamic Kendra Jones (do yourself a favour and check out the video for ‘White Boys’ if you need further proof). Stuart doesn’t have Kendra Jones presence and rawness and some of the band’s earlier edge is lost because of it. But he handles the difficult and nervy melody line well. At this point in the proceedings though, it’s safe to say that Arcade Fire they are most certainly not.
Based on what appears to be an attempt to move into a more accessible and familiar sound with ‘Goodbye To All That’ it will be interesting to see what happens next with Cold Blood Club, this single being the precursor to their imminent debut album Tear Down the Maps. If they have sense they will play to their obvious strengths and Kendra Jones will once again become the dominant figure, the natural star of the band. I know I wouldn’t be the only person cheering.
