COLD TRUTH - review added 27th March 2009
Album Review: Do Whatcha Do (2008)
For fans of: Southern rock... and albums you don't own but should
Cold Truth is a Tennessee band whose members have been, without wishing to appear rude, around the block a few times. These aren't young upstarts doing spectacular if unimpressive things to appeal to the masses. These guys are here to make good music the old fashioned way... maybe with a modern twist. They have more laid-back cool than a leopard wearing sunglasses and radiate relaxation like a night at a Nashville pool party.
The aural references on Do Whatcha Do are numerous. The obvious Bad Company and Lynyrd Skynyrd pointers are there, as are Led Zep and vintage Whitesnake cues. The result is a hybrid of blues and Southern influenced hard rock with a light sprinkling of country and folk.
Singer Thane Shearon has a fantastic voice. He has a crystal clear sound with the perfect pitch and a husky edge. He's one of those vocalists who should be huge-mongously famous but, because he isn't an 18 year old waif with pervy marketing potential, he'll probably remain on the fringes of obscurity. Shame.
'Cold As Hell' starts things off. It's a perfectly nice, polite rocker. It isn't going to set the cornfields on fire, but it's a nice way of easing into the album. 'Diesel' is a tad heavier and reminiscent of upbeat Thunder. Close your eyes, sink back into your rocking chair, and Thane Shearon could actually be Danny Bowes.
It's hard to describe just how good 'If That Ain't Enough' sounds. Imagine one of Paul Rodgers' bands on a good day and you'll be in the right ball park. The chorus is so catchy it's almost an epidemic. Awesome!
Even better, 'Peace With Me' and 'Together' are just as vast. 'Peace With Me' is all about the through-flowing vibe. It doesn't do the big chorus thing, and instead focuses on a mellow brooding verse structure that has classic stamped all over it. 'Together' combines the best of both worlds. The verses are great, the chorus is as friendly as a giant teddy bear.
'This Time' boasts plenty of passion in the performance and some excellent guitar work from Kurt Menck. 'Whisper To Me' has a strong air of Stereophonics about it. A Tennessee band doing an impression of a group from South Wales is something to behold. Good song though.
Do Whatcha Do, silly name aside, puts Cold Truth in a superb light. Everything on the release is one step ahead of what you'd normally expect. The fillers are good, the good tracks are brilliant, the production is exceptional and the performances are near-perfect. Okay, the 'good fillers' outnumber the brilliant songs, and the album is perhaps a little bit too cool for it's own good, but the result is still utterly excellent.
Check out... The vocals. So creamy you could make pudding from them.
Track List:
1. Cold as Hell
2. Diesel
3. If that ain't Enough
4. Gimme Some
5. Set Me Free
6. Peace with Me
7. Shakedown
8. Together
9. This Time
10. Finding the Way
11. Whisper to Me
12. Payin Dues
13. Light My Way
Artist's websites: Cold Truth , MySpace
