I really, I mean really really liked, the last ASKIES’ single I reviewed – ‘Easy’ and this is very much in the same vein.It’s alternative rock but it’s smooth and comes with a pop edge.

So let’s identify and define that pop edge. It’s in the oh-so bloody earwormy tune, it’s in the vocals which have something of a soulful sound. But at its heart it’s alt-rock so it does that guitar – but it’s as sweet as, it does that quiet/loud thing. It doesn’t forget its roots but they are a starting point rather than an ending point.

And ASKIES’ are a band who have the musical chops to back up what is actually a pretty complex song. There’s sparse clever drumming, there’s guitar that rocks but never quite gets too much for the song. There’s great light and shade – or if you will dynamics. But for me it’s the vocal that’s the absolute star of this track. The song calls for some great vocals and they’ve got it. And what we end up with is a song that’s catchy, played and sung with feeling. A song that’s been put together with craft and skill.

Call it pop/alt-rock, call it adult oriented alt-rock (AOA anyone?), call it rock with a pop edge – does it really matter? It’s just a great song played and sung really fantastically. Isn’t that all we need? Let’s stop getting bogged down in that ‘I really only like alt-rock and maybe indie-rock, but indie-pop, nope’ or any possible variation on that sort of statement. There’s only two types of music – good music and bad music; and what’s good and what’s bad is up to you to decide.

I’m going to say that ‘Forty-Three’ is good music, really great music. And it’s something you should make some time to hear. Got that?

Seen what they’ve done there? That title I mean. I like that, I like that a lot.

I say ‘they’ve’ and this is somewhat misleading because Cold Culprits is a band of one person – namely Andy Watson, a musician (and also freelance writer) who lives in North Yorkshire. But the thing is that unless you knew that I’m betting you couldn’t tell that the music is put together by one person. It sounds like a band. So I’m sticking with ‘band’.

I’ve been following Cold Culprits since their first release; and frankly each release is great, they’ve been intriguingly different. Look I say different but that’s within what I’m going to describe as ‘a very broad framework’. So while different they always have something that says to me ‘that’s Cold Culprits’. Let’s call that something a feel.

I said Cold Culprits mix it up, and the opening track ‘Full Moon, Empty Promises’ mixes it up big time. I want you to imagine something – take that funky slashing rolling sound of Talking Heads and mix that up with that sneering attitude, and guitar, of raw raucous NY Punk.This thing has a bass line that is funky people. It has out-there drumming, guitar that’s fuzzy and raw. My helpful friend said it has something of the edge of The Clash, couldn’t disagree.

‘Ribcage Beats’ is a total revision of a previous Cold Culprits’ song ‘Candy Thief’ But it’s taken out (and I mean completely) any sign of the electro sounds that had, and replaced them with absolutely raucous guitar. It reminds me of Hanoi Rocks – and that’s high praise from me, Hanoi being one of my favourite bands back in the 80s. Look I say it gets rid of the electro but there’s still a keyboard, a keyboard that could easily be the saxophone of Hanoi. It even does that dropout to harmonies they did. It’s pure rawk n roll, a bloody joy, a manically danceable track that’ll have you going mad.

A more laid back piano led song – ‘Here Comes The Neighbourhood’ – is up next. This is no ballad, it comes with an edge, an off-kiltered sound, lyrics that say it’s not all good in the neighbourhood, all is not what it seems. If I was forced to say what it reminds me of – and maybe I am, people out there appear to want some sort of ‘sounds like’ – I’d say Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, it has that ‘sounds sweet but watch out there’s something quite disturbing in there’ feel that some of their songs had. Or even something of the oddness that Ian Hunter has in his solo stuff. What I’m saying here is that there’s more to this song than meets the eye.

Up next is ‘Sweet Apathy’. This was previously released as a single and this is what I said ‘For this release Andy’s in let it all hang out mode, it’s raucous and raw. Guitars crash, keyboards roar. Production-wise this track is pure diy, there’s a roughness around the edges that is way way exciting. It sounds live, Andy said that he was thinking gigging as he put this together and that comes through. It has something of a punk thing – that’s original punk – going on. And this really comes through with the vocals which have an almost visible sneer. Of the four releases this has become a firm favourite, it’s the rawness, the driving throw yourself around the room beat, the out-there-ness of the sound. Knowing that this was put together instrument by instrument it’s hard not to be somewhat amazed, how does he make this sound like a band playing live?’

That comment about making it sound like a live band is something you can apply to all of the releases.

Closing track – ‘World On A Wire’ – is something else entirely. Yep, it’s raw and gritty. Yep guitars scream but it’s dense with a sort of tribal beat. It has something of a wild primal blues feel. It’s a riot. It sounds better and better played louder and louder. It’s a freakout baby.

I said Cold Culprits like to mix it up, give us something different and boy does this EP do that. New sides to them in every track. This is no collection of tracks that all sound the same. Each track brings a new feel, a new sound, a new facet to Andy’s playing.

This EP continues in Cold Culprits’ journey of each release getting better and better. It’s five brilliant songs that intrigue, that compel the listener. If Cold Culprits are new to you, now’s the time to take a listen.

Available as a limited edition signed CD (includes digital track bundle)
https://coldculprits.com

The info

Cold Culprits isn’t a band, it’s Andy Watson, a musician and freelance writer living in North Yorkshire.

Andy got into music as a young kid, when he found an old cassette tape in the street and took it home to play on his dad’s tape player. The music on it blew his tiny head off. He had no idea at the time, but it was a band called The Skids. That cassette tape cemented Andy’s love of guitar-driven punk rock.

Andy has been strumming guitars for years, but only decided to get organised and write original music in 2020. Before that he was gigging the regional pub circuit with a covers band and playing open mics.

As a solo musician, Andy learned how to play drums and keyboards to flesh out his guitar and voice and bring Cold Culprits to life. His debut single, We Will Bleed, was released in April 2020.

The name

Cold Culprits is a salute to The Germs, a 1970s LA punk rock band. It’s a loose connection, along the lines that germs are the culprits behind the common cold, or ‘cold culprits’. The Germs were unstable, self-destructive and incoherent. They also wrote some awesome lyrics, setting the words to completely unintelligible songs in the few short years before they imploded.

It’s been a while since I reviewed something from Masi Masi – the last one was ‘Favourite Gold’ back in July – and I’ve missed them. Whatever they’re doing it’s always classy and crafted, and comes with a twist, the unexpected.

‘Freddie’s Song’ is something of a grower. I started off really liking it, and then rapidly went to adoring it, and then to loving it completely.

But how to describe it, this is the question, and it’s a big question. OK so bear with me; it starts in a kinda dreamy psychy indie-pop way, and that is fab, I mean way way fab, But does it stay there, nope. Suddenly it erupts into fierce strident guitar. And that is unexpected and fantastic. And you’d expect it to stay there for the rest of the song but it doesn’t, it drops back to the psyche poppy sound. And then it drops to voice and keys before erupting again. It’s a rollercoaster.

It sounds at times like Primal Scream; only a bit, it’s that dense sound, that pulsing shifting rhythm, it’s that piano.

And it’s full of strange, subtle, unexpected and wonderful sounds. There’s a gorgeous piano. The sounds of shakers and wooden beaters Sounds that woosh. Sounds that tinkle. It’s a sonic trip. Played loud, I mean room shaking loud, odd sounds pop up suddenly, the layers of sound burst over you like a breaking wave. And then that fierce guitar hits you, it hits you in the face.

And there are lovely vocals, a voice singing about it being a long year and being hard to breath. Is this a song about this year? It’s certainly been a long one, and yep it’s been hard to breath. I’m not sure, there are other words that indicate it might be about something else. And who is Freddie? I think this is one I’ll leave to you to interpret (but see ‘A small postscript’ below).

But it comes with so much more. There’s bittersweet, then there’s a kind of joy, then there’s bittersweet. Whatever’s happened in that long year, it’s been up and down.

This people is a joy. A cleverly put together track that’s musically completely compelling and addictive. It connects with your soul and your heart. And, I must say, with your feet.

A small postscript

So I was just checking out Masi Masi’s Facebook Page, and I saw this, which kinda helps explain the song. It said ‘I was gonna call this tune ‘Long Year’ after having such a shit year at the time, but my best bud Freddie loves this song and she was someone who got me through it the most, so it made more sense to give it to her’.

This explains the changes in tense. And it’s made me think about the song in an entirely different light. Makes sense now.

W.F’s singles are always a joy. You never quite know what he’s going to do but, and this is the key thing, it’s always good. And ‘Hollywood’ is no exemption to this.

It appears that he’s moved from Sheffield to Laurel Canyon if this single is anything to go by. What I mean by this is that if you told me that this had been made by one of those Laurel Canyon singer/songwriters in the late 60s or early 70s I’d be convinced.

What I mean this is that it’s in that country rock/Americana vein. Soft lifting melody, kind of a slow swing country rhythm, words about a working man and his babe, and a stonking great guitar solo – a solo in that Joe Walsh kinda way. It does that particular production style music from those Laurel Canyon singer/songwriters had. If he’d set out to nail that sound, that feel, then he’s done it.

And it’s absolutely fantastic..The playing is great, his vocals rock (well they don’t rock but you know what I mean), the lyrics are wonderful. And is the most annoyingly earwormy thing, I just can’t get it out of my head. Damn you W.F, will you just stop making songs with such great tunes, with words that just want to sing along to.

I treasure his releases, they are always compelling, wonderfully written and played, with great words. This is one to grab a hold of, and just not let go, it’s an utter joy.

The info

Guitar & Vocals by W.F.Severs.
Bass by Josh Oxley.
Drums by David Mitchell

Recorded by Chris Wilkinson @ Fox Den Studios, Sheffield.. Electric guitars recorded at Vila Carla, Italy.

Mixed by Will Severs. Mastered by Katie Tavini.