EP Review: Cold Reading – Part 1: Past Perfect (Krod Records)

After a one-year break from playing shows, Swiss Alternative Rock band Cold Reading are back with an extended line-up and ‘Part 1: Past Perfect’, the first instalment of their EP trilogy to be released throughout the next months.

Now operating as a quintet after the addition of guitarist Alain Schurter, they’ve spent the past year intensively working on new material. In October 2018 the band finally hit the studio to record the new songs with producer Jan Kerscher (Mutiny On The Bounty, The Intersphere, EF among others) at Ghost City Recordings in Germany.

The result is a three-part concept album, the parts of which will first be released as digital EPs and then also as a physical full-length album. The first EP is called “Part 1: Past Perfect” and was released on May 24th via Berlin based label Krod Records.

Singer Michael Portmann describes the lyrical content as follows:

“Part 1: Past Perfect’ is primarily about the past as such; the present remains purposely excluded. The lyrics should invite the listener to engage with their own melancholy and the ambivalence of this feeling. This fundamental human emotion is what I wanted to express in the songs on ‘Part 1: Past Perfect’. Nostalgic feelings can be very comforting, but once they are at odds with reality and all its positive and negative facets, they can evolve into something dangerous.”

Mellow, haunting but pretty, the morose tone of Through the Woods, Pt. 1 is effective and while it does burst into energy, it still retains the feeling of sadness. Maybe that’s got something to do with the vocals and post-like guitar melodies?

Cold Reading offer up an EP of feeling with Part 1: Past Perfect but also one with plenty of hard rocking moments to get the energy up. The title track certainly shows this off as the vocals have a little more power and the guitars tell a deeper story. One of sorrow but one also tinged with hope.

Mono No Aware reintroduces the super mellow melodies and vocals for a stellar performance of pain. A little depth to the bass makes all the difference here and even when it picks up nearer the end we are just treated to a more passionate performance.

Finally it’s up to Escape Plan Blueprint/New Domain to lighten the load with a lovely mix of airy lows and rougher rocking highs.

If Part 1 is anything to go on then Part 2 and 3 are going to be amazing.

Cold Reading – Part 1: Past Perfect Full Track Listing:

1. Through the Woods, Pt.1
2. Past Perfect
3. Mono No Aware
4. Escape Plan Blueprint/New Domain

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