Review: The Cold Stares’ album ‘The Southern’

By Terry Marland, Rock At Night Manchester UK

Review: The Cold Stares’ album ‘The Southern’ – Release date September 6, 2024

The Cold Stares take a deep dive into their musical and cultural  heritage on their seventh album The Southern. This collection of songs is a penetrating exploration of family values, religion, redemption and contrition that delivers a revealing insight into the band’s heritage.

Renowned as a hard hitting Blues Rock band, hailing from Evansville Indiana, The Cold Stares is comprised of Chris Tapp – vocals and guitar, Brian Mullins – drums and Bruce Klueh – bass.

Commenting on the approach to the album Tapp explains “When it came time to record this album, I thought about everybody giving us this Southern rock tag, and decided to intentionally write songs that explore that”

The opening track  “Lead This Horse To Water” chronicles a return to the homestead and features a throbbing riff overlaid with Chris Tapp’s gritty vocals. “Coming Home” is a rocking bluesy number with Tapp on Dobro that further explores deep family ties and personal resilience.

A powerful railroading riff ushers in “Looking For A Fight” with lyrics that challenge the status-quo and question politicians ability to understand the plight  of the working man.

“Blow Winds Blow” is a skilfully crafted number incorporating shades of  Hendrix’s “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)” that’s followed by the intriguing  “Confession” which at almost five and a half minutes is the longest track on the album.  Here Tapp takes on a preacher stance imploring the listener to “Lay your sins on me, truth will set you free” before giving way to a hypnotic psyche rock segue-way that lasts about three minutes but for me ends too soon.

The doom laden “No Love In The City Anymore” warns of Armageddon and homes in on capitalist greed, disregard for the environment and the desperation of the underprivileged.

 Saving one of the best tracks until last, dark delta tones evokes the spirit of Robert Johnson for the mystical gothic soundscape of “Mortality Blues” that closes the album in some style. Check out the atmospheric video here:

In all The Southern is an engrossing collection of eleven songs that hang together as a composite piece of work and is the band’s strongest offering to date.

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Terry Marland

I’vehad a passion for music from an early age starting with the classic rock bands of the late sixties and early seventies. A few years ago I was able to combine my love of music with my interest in photography when I started to secure press passes for bands appearing in local venues close to my home in North Wales. I also had a stint with the good people at Down the Front Media where I worked at a variety of venues across the UK.Aside from gigs I have been a match day photographer with Chester FC for eight years and you’ll find me pitch-side most Saturday afternoons during the football season.

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