James and the Cold Gun : "s/t"

 This band from South Wales might be named after a Kate Bush song, but they are banging out the brand of rock n roll that has more in common with Queens of the Stoneage. They fall back into a more angular syncopation on "Something to Say" , though they hold onto the momentum established with a punk fervor. "All the Wrong Places" does not work as well as "Bittersweet" as they do not allow more than the same level of dynamics and try to keep things going off the raw power of their energy alone.  When they lean into the moody nuance things have a wider range of sonic color to draw from. The album is really well produced, there is a huge drum sound, while the guitars are a little garage rock at times, as they clang out as if just plugged in at the rehearsal studio. It's on "Bittersweet" where effects are added to give more depth. 

"Headlights" carries a more angular post-punk tension, that gives way to a more aggressive attack. They are once again racing at a more party punk pace. The vocals help to keep things structured and purposeful .Not poppy but not a reckless explosion either. They do have moments of wilder abandon on "My Silhouette". The bass line holds everything together here. If this is punk the emphasis is on the rock side of the equation. Things shift the most drastically with the strum of acoustic guitar going into "Grey Through the Same Lens". There is more blues inflected guitar crying in the background. "Saccharine" is another in your face rubber burning number that comes close to being punk. More punk than most of the pop bands who pretend they are punk.

"Alone Again" is another foot on the gas chord jangler. It draws a great deal of influence from Queens of the Stoneage, right down to the quick toss in an odd falsetto note from the vocals. Not that Queens has this kind of get up and go now. "Cheating on the Sun" slows down a bit, but is pretty deliberate with the drive of guitar. It is however enough of a melodic twist to sell me on it. They no not throw themselves back into the punk pacing for the last song. Instead they give the vocals room to breathe and let the guitar build the tension. This album has a great energy and many moments where the band steps away from the momentum they have built to show you who they are. They care about songwriting and have written some damn catchy ones that straight-up rock the fuck out so I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me.