Album Review: The Cold Beat - Get Safe

The Cold Beat are your typical Sol-Cal punk influenced rock ’n’ roll band. If you’re looking for a fun band to act as the soundtrack to your summer, then look no further. However, if you’re after originality and depth, you might be disappointed. ‘Get Safe’ is their debut full-length album, and if you give them a chance, you’ll be singing along in no time.

As an opener, ‘Play To Win’ may not have been the best choice. Basically, it’s bland. It’s slow-paced and blends melancholy with rock ‘n’ roll, as does the second track, ‘Copper Green’. However, by the third track, ‘Snake Oil’ the album really picks up and becomes much more the energetic and fun sound you would expect from the trio. Chris Amaral’s vocals can be two-dimensional in parts, but generally his voice is distinctive and has the ability to make anyone who listens want to join in. Even if he does sound bored towards the end of the song.

‘Submerge’ is quite heavily focused on the drums for the first part of the song, which wouldn’t be so bad but they do come across as rather tinny and unrefined. Once the tempo picks up you don’t notice so much, but it makes the overall sound of the track quite empty and shallow. This is a massive contrast to the next track, ‘On The Way Down’ which actually does have far more depth to it. The bass line is simple but effective, as with all the previous songs, and the guitar is, yet again, nothing revolutionary.

On of the best tracks on the album is the short and sweet ‘I’ll Follow’. It’s catchy, fun and packs a punch. Basically, anything you could want from a summer anthem, it’s got it. Again, what it lacks in originality it makes up for with plenty of passion and a good chorus. The final track on the album is a bit of a tearjerker. ‘Crumble And Fade’ is an acoustic tale of love once lost, and if The Cold Beat lost the echo on the vocals, it would be a great song.

‘Get Safe’ is eleven tracks of entertaining, if a bit repetitive, punk influenced rock ‘n’ roll. If you like your music light hearted and easy to listen to, then you will love The Cold Beat. This album is great to have on in the background, but it’s not going to stand out anywhere. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll gain quite a few fans from this record and set themselves up nicely for a second, which hopefully will do them a little more justice.

3/5

'Get Safe' by The Cold Beat is available now.

The Cold Beat on MySpace

Blaise Ruston