Cola - Gloss - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The Gloss is the second album from Cola. From their inception Cola have expanded on the d.i.y. ethic of the Dischord and SST eras, creating potent sounds from a minimal palette of drums/bass/guitar and lacing their songs with winsome one-liners and societal commentary. What's another word for commentary? Gloss, apparently. Never basic, the lyrics reward repeated listening for deeper meanings. David Berman's poetry-via-garage light pennings are an inspiration, as equally so are the lighter side of UK first-wave New Wave and the Dunedin sound. The results are in the pudding at times sparse and poetic, at others a thrilling, hook-laden good time, as with the cheeky romantic sketch of a one-night stand that is so overflowing with innuendo-cum-journalism talk that it almost teeters over into self-parody. But the results are the right combination of lightheartedness and sincerity. Romanticism is never far from laughter, and equally never far from righteous anger in the music of Cola InchPulling quotes now in the dark/Our outlook is restrained/Your tongue might weaken to be-fit your smile/Til nothing ill remains.Inch 'nuff said. It's an album bursting with energy and wit and ideas-filled to the margins. Out June 14th 2024 on Fire Talk.

Rags, Ballads & Harmonium Songs. Chanteys, Come-All-Ye's, Aborigine Song Sticks. Gospel, Improvisations, Renaissance Lyrics, Blake Hymns, Bluegrass, Hillbilly Riffs, Country & Western, 50's R&B, Dirty Dozens & New Wave.

Cost of Living Adjustment is the sort-of self-titled album from Cola, the Montreal trio of Tim Darcy (vocals/guitar), Ben Stidworthy (bass), and Evan Cartwright (percussion). C.O.L.A. Inch an acronym for Cost of Living Adjustment Inch is a fitting conceptual framework for the band's third record. Why? Because C.O.L.A. considers, among other things, socialism vs. Hell. It considers rolling the dice of life. The erie and sweet pangs that nostalgia can provoke. Following two studio LPs which earned the trio praise from Rolling Stone (Best Indie Rock Albums of 2024), Pitchfork (Best Rock Albums of 2024), Stereogum (Best Songs of 2022) and more, Cost of Living Adjustment is abstract, oblique, sometimes strange, whatever you want to call it. But it is also beautiful, in the classic sense. Beautiful like a painting can be beautiful. It touches on the sublime. It is Cola, the band, at their very best.