By the time a band let’s lose their third album they our either in a musical groove that the idiom “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” would apply and have a diehard fan base that believes they can do no wrong… or they take chances musically that leaves their fans bewildered and confused…The Boxer Rebellion is following the first formula to a T on “The Cold Still”. This is The Boxer Rebellion’s third studio album and it was released back in Feb onto a public that it seems is always hungry for the next Coldplay or The National, with The Cold Still that is exactly what they are getting, and more.
This is a band that was no stranger to public adulation having their second release 2009’s 'Union' being named Alternative Album of the Year by iTunes US. The Cold Still was produced by Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Crowded House) and you can really hear his touch within’ the grooves of each track, this record flows, some records are made to be single driven and have no flow to them, and this record is the total opposite of that, you move from song to song without any of those awkward musical pauses…it just works.
Recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios, producer Johns really captured the band’s live sound , these four guys are a group that were taylor made for playing live, and this record really conjures up that sound. It was not until my second listen through of the record that it hit me what they were all about...super catchy tunes that don’t hurt your brain too much and transfer to a live setting almost effortlessly, and this is a very difficult feat even for the most seasoned band… The Boxer Rebellion seems to pull it off with this record.
The stands out tracks on the record for me are: Both Sides Are Even, Cause for Alarm, Step out of the Car and the eerily evocative Doubt.
The Cold Still is available on iTunes
Joe Cornelisse-SSGS
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