Heavy Shoes
Mascot, 2021
8/10
Chris Tapp and Brian Mullins, i.e. The Cold Stares, know their way around a diverse and animated rock’n’roll tune, and here they bring us a dozen layered and rich tracks that lyrically touch on weighty topics amid their rowdy and dirty brand of song craft.
The title track starts the listen with a thick and buzzing display of gritty yet melodic blues rock, and “40 Dead Men” follows with an initially quicker pace of thumping rock that, near the end, enters sludgy territory with its dense booming.
In the middle, “In The Night Time” gets soulful with spirited guitar work alongside plenty of grooves, while “Strange Light” brings garage rock ideas to the swampy fuzz that’s raw but very tuneful. “It’s A Game”, one of the album’s best, then embraces current indie-rock ideas in its precise delivery that makes an indelible impression.
Near the end, “You Wanted Love” recruits some classic rock nods in the energetic landscape, and “Dust In My Hands” exits the listen with power and melody meeting at an exciting and memorable intersection.
Recorded partially in Memphis and finished up at their home studio in Indiana, there’s definitely a southern influence across the record, as the duo pen their heaviest record to date, and it’s one that will appeal to fans of plenty of variations of guitar rock.
Travels well with: Joe Bonamassa- Royal Tea; Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band- Straight To You Live