After a strong showing with their debut LP Over Me last year, punk/electro-pop band Cold Beat is back with Into the Air. Already, the band seems in sync, a feat that could take more than a few albums for a new group to master before they start pushing personal boundaries.
Bassist/vocalist/primary songwriter Hannah Lew, previously with the San Francisco surf-rock trio Grass Widow, carries the weight of Cold Beat’s vocals. Her strong yet angelic sound acts as a guiding light for the album’s dark points. Add the rest of the band’s playful pop-synth style, and Cold Beat can embody the punk-crossover rebellion of Blondie or the bleeding-heart shoegaze of Dum Dum Girls. Lew's lush voice soars throughout the album — it radiates romantic warmth, mirroring Debbie Harry’s opulent style.
Haunting, isolating melodies and moody soundscapes are what Cold Beat does best, evident in the synth-wave wanderings of the instrumental "Clouds" and the drum-machine and space-rock album closer "Ashes.” But the band can also change its attitude within a song. They build tension with a guitar clang and propulsive drumming on the protopunk “Sisters,” a song that later finds solace in a flowing melody, which was there all along. Compare those textures with the brisk guitar strumming of the straightforward "Am I Dust" or Lew’s heartbreaking indecision on “Broken Lines,” and Cold Beat’s versatility impresses.
After a strong showing with their debut LP Over Me last year, punk/electro-pop band Cold Beat is back with Into the Air. Already, the band seems in sync, a feat that could take more than a few albums for a new group to master before they start pushing personal boundaries.
Bassist/vocalist/primary songwriter Hannah Lew, previously with the San Francisco surf-rock trio Grass Widow, carries the weight of Cold Beat’s vocals. Her strong yet angelic sound acts as a guiding light for the album’s dark points. Add the rest of the band’s playful pop-synth style, and Cold Beat can embody the punk-crossover rebellion of Blondie or the bleeding-heart shoegaze of Dum Dum Girls. Lew's lush voice soars throughout the album — it radiates romantic warmth, mirroring Debbie Harry’s opulent style.
Haunting, isolating melodies and moody soundscapes are what Cold Beat does best, evident in the synth-wave wanderings of the instrumental "Clouds" and the drum-machine and space-rock album closer "Ashes.” But the band can also change its attitude within a song. They build tension with a guitar clang and propulsive drumming on the protopunk “Sisters,” a song that later finds solace in a flowing melody, which was there all along. Compare those textures with the brisk guitar strumming of the straightforward "Am I Dust" or Lew’s heartbreaking indecision on “Broken Lines,” and Cold Beat’s versatility impresses.