https://soundcloud.com/coltana/blighty/s-a1GCn
Once in a while London’s musical melting pot cooks up a new sound that immediately gets accepted as a classic. Introducing Coltana – a four piece from Brixton. Coltana is many things but it is certainly alternative, defiantly punk and definitely rock.
Out June 15th on Poeticat Presents, Blighty is Coltana’s debut EP – a record that captures the band at the start of their ambitious and expansive sound.
Blighty’s self-titled first single serves to look deeper at the psychological conditioning of British people to whom Martindale vows ‘I’ll never be like you’. It is a heavy rock anthem which evokes the 90’s brit-rock of Skunk Anansie.
The two founding members Cat Martindale (vox) and Blake Kenrick (guitar) started out experimenting with rap and heavy metal, the pair’s respective passions, in a previous project entitled Poeticat. The addition of the jazz and pop elements provided by Lucien Blisset (bass) and Danni Soggia (drums) has created the truly unique and strangely addictive sound that is Coltana.
The sleek production on Blighty, achieved by Xavier Stevenson of Editors and 30 Seconds to Mars, allows Coltana to package their pioneering sound in an easily digestible format.
The group spent a week recording in the English countryside at Parlour Studios. The process was focused on instrumental layering and experimentation with a palette of guitar tones. The drums were written first as percussive pieces on a Cajon and later got transferred to a kit to achieve the detailed jazz rock style that underpins Coltana. Group vocals were collaborative and featured many of the groups friends who joined them at the studios.
Martindale’s unrelenting RATM – like vocals confronts another irritation in the fast-paced indie punk incarnation that is “Break Her” which was released last year.
“Waiting for The Storm” takes on a lighter indie rock incarnation with a chorus reminiscent of Rainbow and a Maccabees style jangly outro. This song allows Kenrick’s guitar playing more time to breathe and gives the audience a catchy vocal hook to sing along to.
“Fuck Those Fuckers” is a brutal bluesy garage-rock song showcasing the band’s ability to change pace and keep their intention.
And finally; “Bitter Sweet” the perfect Coltana blend – rapped verses and a catchy chorus describing the monotonous yet addictive nature of long term relationships. It describes the struggle between loving someone and a desire to be oneself again, independent of partnership.
The five songs on Blighty showcase Coltana’s variety and let us sample the avenues they have ahead. Its unrelenting pace echoes the band’s live performances which catapult fans into Coltana’s world.
