The Cold Beat

Dumbwaiter

Written by: AP on 19/06/2009 14:32:49

Scouting the web for information on The Cold Beat will produce few results, so let's contribute a couple of words of our own to get this Boston-quartet off the ground. The band's debut EP, "Dumbwaiter" should appeal to fans of garage rock à la The Gaslight Anthem with a taste for modern punk aesthetics (particularly audible in the gritty vocals in this case), though what we have here is a far more melancholic take on the genre. Think classic emo-punk bands like Rites of Spring and Sunny Day Real Estate for an accurate reference.

The impression one gets from listening to "Dumbwaiter" is that it's the sort of music that isn't about ambition as much as it is about writing fun songs with your three best friends and if that sells, well, good; if it doesn't, well, so what? As such the album sounds completely carefree, which puts it at odds with the promo sheet provided, which claims there is a tinge of desperation and urgency in Chris Amaral's raspy voice. While the delivery is certainly emotive and passionate, "Dumbwaiter" does not seem to want to convey a message, rather, it resonates a kind of drunken authenticity.

"Dumbwaiter" is a record chock full of pleasant, lively rock anthems, and because of its short length (six songs) it has no time to get boring even if the songs have a slight copy-and-paste feel. Other than the fantastic "Comfortably Clean" there are no real standout tracks, and the album plays more like the sort of thing you'd want to have as background music while sitting in your garden chair reading a good novel, smoking cigarettes and sipping a glass of bourbon.

Although this does not sound like the kind of record that will break through on any level (not that it even wants to, is my suspicion), it's so vibrant and genuine and warm that it deserves some hype. It shows an enormous amount of potential in the slot between the resurfacing underground indie/punk/emo and Springsteen revivalist trends, but don't go into the store expecting a mind blowing new classic; go in expecting an honest and heartfelt rock album by the kind of band you would be likely to discover among the smallest names on Roskilde Festival's annual bill by chance, and treasure as one of those bands few people know about and enjoy - like you know something everyone else does not.

7

Download: Antiquing, Comfortably Clean

For the fans of: The Gaslight Anthem, The Replacements, Rites of Spring, Sunny Day Real Estate

Listen: Myspace

Release date 28.04.2009

** UNSIGNED BAND **

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