Modern day blues could make or break a band as the competition and the purists resistance are extremely hard. The American duo-now a power trio of COLD STARES love their rock, edgy, distorted and the opening track "Nothing but the blues" has a bit of THE STOOGES distortion at it. But follower "Come for me" is a traditional one in the vein of THE FREE, Rory Gallagher with edgy guitars who give a nod to Jimi Hendrix at the end of the riff.The bio talks about CREAM , i can add Hendrix, LED ZEPPElin and the Delta blues scene in between and still i would have missed the target. "The joy" is a blues song that flirts unashamedly with alternative music (Greg Dulli-.THE AFGHAN WIGS) and TOTO at the same time and combines the best of both worlds. "Got no right" oozes CREAM, powerful blues rock track with "White room" essence.."Sorry i was late" is a slow , acoustic number, with some nice organ, stripped down, in a Gary Moore meet the 70s way, heart touching and low profile ballad. Power trio, power blues with the CREAM at "Voices".
"Waiting for the rain again" is where THE COLD STARES find their own voice, a blues rock trio raised on a 70s diet with a melodic heavy rock /blues sound that looks equally at Paul Rodgers as at CREAM. A lot of people have connected the modern blues with Joe Bonamassa but it is bands like THE COLD STARES with their love of power trios and rockabilly that showing us how British reinterpreted the blues creating the British Invasion and the music wave after it, and as a proof of life you have "Sinnerman" a striped down, groovy, blues anthem with some psychedelic touches at the guitars. "Throw that stone" has the americana acoustic feeling that the US originated bluesmen like to add. "Its heavy"as its title implies is an uptempo blues rocker that rocks heavy with its funky groove and rocking guitars. "Thinking about leaving again" is a modern blues rock with great guitar hooks straight outta Hendrix guitar book and a lean, sturdy rhythm section that gives the album a modern "Foxy lady" feeling.The album closes with the "Ghost" a laid back, semi acoustic number
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The album gets the right feeling and sound with producer/engineer/mixer Mark Needham (Taj Mahal, The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Walk the Moon, Fleetwood Mac) making it sound equally traditional as contemporary. "Voices' once again proved that the best vehicle to play modern, traditional, alternative however influenced blues you want, power trio is the formaio . THE COLD STARES embraced this pattern and created one of the best albums of their career, not only for the blues traditionalists but everyone who likes the blues in their various formations.
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