Hailing from Allston, Mass., the guys in the Cold Beat deal in simple but fun rock. Containing flecks of punk and alt-country and falling somewhere in between the Replacements, the Get Up Kids and late period Nada Surf, the group’s new record Get Safe is a breezy, infectious listen. It’s catchy mood music.
Opener “Play to Win” is a midtempo, horn-driven rocker that skirts the edge of melancholy and pop. It’s not the catchiest or fastest song on the record, which makes it a somewhat questionable choice for a first track, but it gets things going regardless. “Copper Green” is a little peppier in an Old 97s way, but it isn’t until track three, “Snake Oil,” that the record starts to take off. It’s a rolling rocker that just keeps dropping big hooks like they’re nothing. The chorus is so huge and simple it’s perfect – “I could be the one” – and then the group throws in a coda that’s even better than that. Yeah, the lyrics aren’t particularly revelatory, but it’s so dang catchy.
The record goes in a similar sing-song fashion, which is perhaps one of its shortcomings. Get Safe’s 11 tracks are all pretty similar. The record isn’t exactly the most inventive musical document. It’s not deep on a lyrical level and feels a little tossed off in places. The production lacks punch. I’m not sure if this album needs to be glossier or grittier, but right now it’s in this awkward middle ground where it just sounds tinny. But it’s a fun album, dammit.
Get Safe is a good alt-rock record. It’s modest in ambition but effortlessly enjoyable. It’s just good.
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