The album's opening tracks smoothly introduce the band's key strengths: male-female dual vocals, expansive textures, and incredibly diverse instrumentation. Gradually building a thick wall of sound, the lush vocal harmonies and layered lead lines in When the Sun Goes Down showcase songwriters Hiromi and Robbie Matsumoto's keen ability for arrangement. On the other hand, the epic gang vocals at the end of Breath evoke the best of the Arcade Fire, harnessing the spontaneous while also tastefully celebrating the unnecessary.
The stand out track in my opinion is the mid-tempo electro-drone rocker Not in My Head. Trading stanzas during the chorus like "the FBI has tapped my phone" and "the mail came a little light today", the Matsumoto couple elegantly communicate the slightly subdued, eerie paranoia in the lyrics. The call and response vocal contrast has an almost playfully schizophrenic aspect to it that works well over the polished, yet positively postmodern soundscape underneath it. The Coldest Hour is not so cold after all...This is band has magnetic chemistry and I wish them nothing but the best in the months ahead. Their CD release party will take place March 20th at the 400 Bar. Click here for more info and /or to purchase a bundled CD & ticket package for the show.
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