Album Review: Cold Cave – Cherish The Light Years
After 2009′s Love Comes Close, Cold Cave returns with stronger vocals, bigger beats and better riffs on its second album, Cherish The Light Years. These songs show a transition has taken place and turned Cold Cave into something greater. This album is intense, exhilarating, ambitious, and pretty damn fantastic. All nine tracks are memorable, well-crafted songs that mark the band’s growth.
The opening track, “The Great Pan Is Dead” acts as the loud, churning announcement of what we are to expect for the rest of the album. It immediately gets in your face, and its assault sets high expectations for what is to come. The album continues moving forward with “Pacing Around The Church,” “Confetti” and “Catacombs” in which the New Order-esque sonic texture is complemented by Wesley Esold’s vocals that remind one of Robert Smith. “Underworld USA” begins with a darker, Nine Inch Nails industrial-like thump that eventually builds up to an arena anthem chorus and guitar riff.
The album’s highlight, “Icons of Summer,” bolts out like the sound Cut Copy were to achieve if they ever took a more gothic approach to songwriting. The one weakness of the album is in “Alchemy and You,” where the use of trumpets that comes with Cold Cave’s more experimental style doesn’t really pay off.
Overall, this album is memorable, and simply good. Definitely one of the best albums I have heard this year. Highly recommended for anyone who feels nostalgic for the days in which synth-pop ruled the world. If you like New Order, Duran Duran, Cut Copy, Depeche Mode or The Cure, I think there is a high change you will enjoy this album.
Grade: 9.1
–Enrique Lemus, host of Moose Trax, Monday 10pm-12am
When I first heard this album, I knew I was going to like Cold Cave. I definitely like the ’80s style from this particular release, and to a lesser degree their previous releases which have a charm of their own.