ALBUM REVIEW: Paradise – Cold Years

Even though they spend a lot of debut record Paradise berating it, you can’t picture anywhere better for COLD YEARS to emerge from than Aberdeen. The cold, chilly coastline of North East Scotland is home to what for most of us, is reality. The quartet’s depiction of working class life on their first full length is sometimes morose, but it’s often brilliant.

Paradise might spend a fair amount of its play time giving you visions of BRYAN ADAMS, and THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM, but it never overly commits. COLD YEARS‘ individuality always finds a way of showing itself. Be it on the acoustic wails that open 31, or the punk treads of Burn The House Down – they never sound like a cheaper knock off. The former in particular gives early insight into what the four piece are: rustic storytellers with a charm.

Vocalist Ross Gordon is, of course, central to the character of Paradise. His emotive anchoring of the soaring Dropout is as touching as his aching stretch across the solemn Hunter. You feel the lump in Gordon‘s throat as he creeps “Walking alone I can still see you there, watching my every move”. It’s these touches of nuance that make the record such a gripping 40 minutes, COLD YEARS aren’t afraid to expose anything: even themselves.

It’s possible to become so intertwined in the story of Paradise that its other elements fall by the wayside. But its musical backdrops are as fit for purpose as its vibrant theme. The modern rock backbone of Northern Blues mirrors peak THE MENZINGERS, and the slithering clean guitar lines that open Electricity wouldn’t feel out of place on an ARCTIC MONKEYS record. It’s high praise, but in the hands of the right demographic – Paradise strikes eerily close to home.

Perhaps their pursuit of relating to their audience may hold COLD YEARS back in the long-run. Sure, the hook of Room With A View‘s chorus can be enjoyed by, well, anyone, but its core message couldn’t possibly land the same if you’ve never longed for geographical upheaval. Even with that said though, the quartet are so consistently poignant in their delivery, this is a mild sacrifice.

Paradise might not re-write the modern rock rule book, but it pens a beautiful rendition of it. Drawing influence from a cacophony of greats, but plagiarising none of them: COLD YEARS debut exceeds potential, and instead shows greatness. Maybe its motif won’t be familiar to everyone – but if you understand its frustrations, Paradise is instantly memorable.

Rating: 8/10

Paradise is out now via eOne. 

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