By Sean O’Kane
When a band announces an album release date of April Fool’s Day, it’s hard not to question their sincerity. But aside from some early release hi-jinks, Colour Revolt’s first full album is as serious (and seriously good) as they come.
Before bands like Gnarls Barkley and The Raconteurs caught on to the trend of “leaking” themselves, Colour Revolt quietly allowed emusic.com to start selling the digital copy of their new alubum Plunder, Beg, and Curse. Then they started selling the hard copy on the website of their label Fat Possum Records.
Any excuse not to own this album is now squandered as today marks the “official” release date, and these Mississippi natives are giving listeners all of these options so they can prove they are more than worth the listen.
If you’ve been lucky enough to catch their passionate live show at any point in the past year or so, a good portion of Plunder will sound familiar. Three of the songs were introduced and heavily performed and retooled during their extensive touring in 2007.
One of those songs, “Naked And Red,” starts the album by showcasing what Colour Revolt does best – Patrick Addison and Len Clark’s grunting bass and drums thumping together in time, Jesse Coppenbarger and Sean Kirkpatrick’s vocal harmonies matching up perfectly, and Jimmy Cajoleas’ writhing guitar lines snaking their way around it all.
“A Siren” follows with Coppenbarger’s signature raspy vocals outlining lyrics like “Even if you need it all/The ground won’t break to save your fall/Even if you need it all.”
Boldly following with the snail-paced “Elegant View” (in a third-track slot often reserved for radio singles), Coppenbarger and Kirkpatrick once again match vocals with a chillingly ghastly touch. The seemingly slow song is worth the wait when the final minute delivers with a release of chugging guitar and powerful rhythm.
The next two songs present the heart of the album. “See It” shines in it’s romantic honesty, with lines like “I want to see it/I want to rock right from your tree/I want to be it/I want to taste what I can see.” Following is “Moses of the South,” perhaps the most radio-ready, but easily the most melodic and rich song on the album. The hesitance in Coppenbarger’s voice during these two songs is an incredible tonal shift from his riotous screams (a shift that has drawn the ire of some fans). In fact it is not just the sorrowful nature of his voice that is intriguing, but the deliberate confidence that lies underneath and sells it so well.
“Swamp” and “Ageless Everytime” are the other two heavily traveled songs, dating as far back as a few months to over a year ago. The polish they now come with proves them worth the wait, as both will easily lodge in your brain for days after hearing them.
The reverb-soaked slide guitar in “Innocent And All” invokes George Michael and his “Wicked Games” (yes, THAT George Michael), and even could be compared to some of the slower offerings from Coldplay’s sophomore effort, A Rush of Blood to the Head.
Plunder finishes strong with the muscular “Shovel To Ground” and the inquisitive lines of “What Will Come Of Us?” (If God is good/Why can’t I be?/No I can’t answer that). Still early in 2008, Colour Revolt has put together what should prove to be one of the most complete and powerful efforts of the year.
After torturing fans by touring on one six-song EP for over a year, they have finally established themselves with an album that ranges seemingly beyond the limits of five young guys, three of whom are still in college. When they graduate in May, be prepared to watch them take the indie-rock world by storm. No joke.
Colour Revolt’s new full length will hopefully mean the difference between obscurity and stardom