From the opening crankin' blues rock riffing of "Nothing By the Blues" off of the latest Mascot Records release from Indiana's The Cold Stares, titled Voices, it seems pretty clear that this little power trio have grown up quite a bit since the last time I heard one of their albums, which was 2017's Head Bent. Over the course of six albums, The Cold Stares, who are comprised of Chris Tapp (vocals, guitar), Brian Mullins (drums), and new guy Bryce Klueh (bass), play in a very listenable style for those that like good old fashioned classic rock/blues rock/hard rock. Loads of chunky guitar riffs, soulful vocals, memorable melodies, and blistering guitar solos permeate these thirteen songs, with images of Bad Company, Free, The Allman Brothers Band, Black Country Communion, Rival Sons, and other mainstay blues rockers pop up from time to time, so the guys don't hide their influences, but the end results are consistently enjoyable. Whether they are hitting the listener with a barnstorming heavy rock rave-up, like on "Lights Out", "Sinnerman", "Throw That Stone", "Voices", and "Got No Right", or more soulful tracks as "The Joy" and "Sorry I Was Late", there's plenty of variety to be found all throughout Voices. Tapp is quite the talent, his vocals sitting somewhere between Joe Bonamassa and Paul Rodgers, while his guitar skills are pretty formidable and provide for many impressive moments. Sometimes, rock music doesn't need to be over- complicated, and a fun blues driven, heavy groove rave-up is all you need...and The Cold Stares are a safe bet to satisfy that itch for kick ass meat and potatoes blues rock. Recommended.
Track Listing
1.
Nothing But The Blues 03:21
2.
Come For Me 03:29
3.
The Joy 03:45
4.
Lights Out 02:29
5.
Got No Right 02:48
6.
Sorry I Was Late 03:47
7.
Voices 03:11
8.
Waiting On The Rain 03:57
9.
Sinnerman 03:27
10.
Throw That Stone 02:58
11.
It’s Heavy 03:32
12.
Thinking About Leaving Again 03:04
13.
The Ghost 02:46
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