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Cold Court are a brother-sister duo from Philadelphia that seem to love nothing more than to fuse all their influences together into a messy stew that at least superficially resembles the kitsch pop you’d expect from acts like 100 Gecs. But, while songs like “Dumbest Girl Alive” goofily wink at pop punk and emo, Cold Court is more self-serious, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The opening track on the band’s debut EP \(^_^)/ (also known as Raise your hands), “Nina” begins with a sound not unlike the dance-punk bands that stormed the scene in the middle of the decade like Franz Ferdinand or Test Icicles. But that all starts to change after about a minute, when the annoying tone is chopped up and fed through the beat repeater. After another minute, there is a quiet bridge reminiscent of Mars Volta. Then the whole thing ends in a barrage of errors and digital chaos.
The record continues largely in this manner. songs on Raise your hands Obviously, life began on drums and guitar. But then Minnie and JoJo fed their creations into a computer, adding layers, rearranging pieces, and accumulating effects. The single “Burn” is perhaps the best example of putting all the parts together. It features big rock riffs, Daft Punk-esque synths, dubstep verses, spontaneous vocals, and even a rap bridge. However, the whole thing feels coherent and unhinged when they shout: “I just want to see it burn, mind your word.”
It’s not the deepest of words, but it works.
While Cold Court is clearly an exercise in extremes, not every song reaches the level of “Burn.” The “Cola” moves slower, removing some layers, but it doesn’t lower the volume. “Glass” is almost a sports rocker as its guitars are shredded and spat back, and the EP’s closer “Light” is blasted, a glossy prog.
Over the course of an entire album, the relentless barrage can become exhausting. But at just 21 minutes, Hands Up doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it will be interesting to see how the band evolves as the young duo grows.
