Nashville-based rock act Cold Equations caught our ears in June with the stellar single “Eraser.” That strong sound continues on their new self-titled album. The trio of Drew Kohl, Ryan Dishen, and John O’Brien deliver a melodic, spirited sound throughout — representing a captivating growth from basement demos to a full-flowing studio sound.
Johnny Marr is cited as one influence, and the harmonious jangle-pop allure of “Set the Boy Free” is enjoyably indicative as such. “The harder that you try, the faster it all slips away,” the vocals let out amidst jangling guitars and underlying acoustics. The culminating “we can’t hold on forever,” hook stirs in its heartfelt title-touting culmination. Cold Equations touts an abundance of glistening, hooky rock with jangly nostalgia.
The album expands beyond chipper jangle-pop, and into heavier territory, like on “I Am Your Shadow.” The calming vocals and textural guitar distortion shows hints of shoegaze in its atmospheric glow. The brooding post-punk of “In the Cart” and ardent rock finale “Best for You” also stand out with their melodic strengths and stylistic versatility. Cold Equations thoroughly impress with this self-titled success.
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“Set the Boy Free” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of September 2023’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
