Channelling swathes of 90’s alt-rock and even the hints of the previous decades post-punk reinventions, Coldswell take a melodic rock sound and proceed to knock off any remaining smooth edges, add angular and often abrasive riffs, staccato deliveries and anthemic yet brooding vocal punches. That’s a lot to fit into one song but then Dark Eyes is no ordinary song and Coldswell are no ordinary band.
They clearly tip their hats to sounds of the past but they also look to the future, offering melodicism but also jagged-edged, non-conformist grooves, brazen rock defiance but also just enough pop-laced accessibility to welcome the listener in.
In short, Dark Eyes is built on contradictions. It plays off loud against quiet, soaring against understatement, power against poise and the result is a song which, although comes from a more underground place, could easily break into some mainstream markets in a sonic Trojan horse sort of way. And that’s a clever move!
