THE BOXER REBELLION

The Cold Still

2011-06-30

This London-based band’s third studio album will grow on you. Produced by Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon) at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in England. From the beginning melodic, heavy beat (Piers Hewitt on drums) of No Harm, and esoteric, possessive Locked in the Basement…”lock you down” to the back-to-back favs Both Sides Are Even and The Runner, The Boxer Rebellion’s The Cold Still is moody, reflective, high and low. Todd Howe’s Telecaster is notable in Caught By The Light, which is his personal favorite on the album (although there are repetitions which will give you pause, thinking the album has skipped). Cause for Alarm is reminiscent of Coldplay and Step Out of the Car creates a sense of RadioHead. Nathan Nicholson, a Tennessee native, pens the lyrics once the vocal melody is created and his script for The Cold Still is replicated between the jacket covers. He’s got quite a range vocally. Bassist Adam Harrison’s Latin jazz influence adds his individuality to bass lines he writes. U2 was an early influence on the band members but they’ve developed their own sound and following, even without a record label. Previously The Boxer Rebellion also became the first unsigned band in history to enter the U.S. Billboard 100 Albums Chart on digital sales alone for their last album. And in 2009 a concert at the Troubadour in LA led to an on-screen appearance in the motion picture Going the Distance, a film starring Drew Barrymore. The band is a down-to-earth quartet with day jobs, just hoping for album awareness. Reviewed by: Pam VandeKerkhoff