Album Review: Northern Blue by Cold Years (by Emma Prew)

Cold Years are a rocking and rolling four-piece from Aberdeen, Scotland. Simply put, they are more of a rock band than a punk band but they draw influences from punk rock as well as bluesy rock ’n’ roll and Americana music. As with many of my recent favourite artists that I’ve had introduced to me over the past couple of years, I have Colin to thank for telling me about Cold Years. On a cold and snowy early December weekend in 2015, Colin was in Dundee, Scotland, for Book Yer Ane Fest (we’d only known each other for a few months and his trip was already planned so I wasn’t with him – plus I didn’t much fancy the 11 hour bus journey!). One of the many bands he saw over the weekend was Cold Years. He described them to me as sounding like ‘A Scottish Gaslight Anthem’ and so I was sold – The Gaslight Anthem being one of my favourite bands of all time.

Cold Years’ last release was the EP Death Chasers in 2016 so I think we can all agree that we are keen to hear something new from the band. Well, the wait is almost over as a 4-track EP titled Northern Blue is set for released on 2nd March, on German label Homebound Records. This was one I was looking forward to anyway so I was all the more excited to get to hear it early. Here’s what I thought.

Cold Years launch into Northern Blue full pelt with pounding drums and forceful guitars opening up the first track, Seasons. At least, that’s what we get for the first ten seconds or so before the vocals come in. When frontman Ross’s wistful voice comes in, the guitars switch to a palm-muted style but you can tell that it won’t stay that way for long. The pace and volume pick up again as we head towards a belting chorus. This is pure dynamic and bold rock ’n’ roll. Seasons mulls over the subject of escaping to a better time and place. The bridge is a real highlight with the lines ‘Never could find the words to say, Never thought that I would lose you this way, Give me your hand and I’ll take you away.’ giving way to a huge guitar solo, soon accompanied by soulful singing of ‘No, no, no’. Next up we have the lead single from the EP that was released at the end of last year, Miss You To Death. This song starts fairly slowly with that sense of building once again ever present. It’s superbly melodic with the two guitars and bass taking their own distinct parts while the drums pound away holding everything together. Miss You To Death is a very nostalgic song – well, the whole of Northern Blue is to be honest but it’s particularly apparent here. The chorus is catchy, and it certainly keeps your head nodding along, but it’s the themes within the lyrics that really stand out – growing up surrounded by music, missing someone close to you (missing them to death, you could say) but most of all being thankful for those memories and moments. ‘So put the record on and play those songs you had behind, And all those songs that our mothers and fathers danced to in time, Put on that dress, Forget all the stress, Come with me and never look back…’

What I Lost is the third song on Northern Blue and it starts up with a super sweet opening guitar riff, backed up by the second guitar and a steady drumbeat. Of course, it’s Ross’s vocals take centre stage as soon he opens his mouth. That theme of nostalgia and sense of longing continues with What I Lost. You’d be forgiven for thinking this band was from New Jersey rather than Aberdeen – I thought it too the first time I heard them, at least until I noticed the undertones of a Scottish accent. We do actually get a nod to the mighty Springsteen in this song. ‘Young in our hearts and old in our souls, Even for the youth, No Surrender on the radio…’  There’s another intense guitar solo towards the end of this track that I think shows real rock ’n’ roll flare, before a lengthy melodic outro takes us into the final track of Northern Blue. Appropriately titled Final Call, this song begins with a clean dual guitar part that quickly holds the listener’s attention, perhaps even more so than on a song with pounding drums or bouncy bass. Less is more. Melody-wise, the guitars actually remind me of the Fake Problem’s song Songs For Teenagers but I think I’m thinking of the time when The Gaslight Anthem covered it as that was more of an acoustic version. Similarities aside, this is another brilliantly heartfelt and soulful track. It begins slowly, as Ross takes you on a journey with his voice, reflecting on the idea that time flies but we never forget the past and what it means to us. Final Call could have easily remained at its slower pace but Cold Years have plenty of energy left for the last third of the song. After the poignant lines of ‘And all the people who leave you behind, Are never far from your mind, Fading memories and haunted regret. These songs are etched into my head…’ there is a huge crescendo and POW, the full band is back with the volume cranked up. There is so much passion packed into the last minute of the song. Amazing end to an amazing set of songs.

Cold Years did not disappoint with Northern Blue. Each of the four songs on this release are brilliant in their own way but they also fit wonderfully together with recurring themes of reflecting on fond memories and the overall sense of nostalgia in their rock ’n’ roll guitar solos as well as soulful and contemplative lyrics.

Check out Cold Years on Facebook and keep an eye out for pre-order details for Northern Blue. In the meantime, you can stream Miss You To Death on Spotify. What are you waiting for?

This album review was written by Emma Prew.