The Gloss - Cola: Review
Review by Lav:
Cola are a Canadian indie-rock outfit that emerged from the ashes of Ought, a group that released three albums in the 2010s. I was a huge fan of the band and all three of their albums which is why it was impossible for me to not come into Cola with high expectations. Despite that, I came away with mixed feelings on the band's debut album Deep in View in 2022. That anticipation returned on this record after a few promising singles. And while The Gloss may not reach the highest highs of Ought, it's definitely a step in the right direction.
This is a good record, let's get that out of the way. But the 10-song tracklist is split into a mixed bag first half and an absolutely excellent second half. Let's take that first half on, where three of the four singles pop up. Albatross was a single I loved and still like a lot. The way it slides between a vibrant bright chorus into the more methodical and intense verses is perfect. Those verses really do steal the show punctuated by how much I love the soaring guitar leads that erupt into the hook.
My feelings on the album's third and forth singles are a bit more mixed. Pulling Quotes has the "give no fucks for a country mile" lyric that still makes me cringe every time. I think there's ultimately a point to it and they play it off well enough but the song primarily works because of a memorable hook and bold guitar licks. Guitar work also played a role in Pallor Tricks growing on me over time even though the refrains don't blow me away. It makes a lot out of a relatively simple sound and style with its guitars and I find it infectious.
The first half of the album also, unfortunately, contains some of my least favorite tracks. Opener Tracing Hallmarks features frontman Tim Darcy's voice following the guitar leads precisely in a way that really doesn't do much for me. That's contrasted by Down To Size whose repetitive refrains tend to drag on. The instrumental outro that closes the song is also kind of cheery in a way that nowhere else on the record seems to match.
Thankfully, the second half of the record is all killer no filler. The best of the bunch is closing track and lead single Bitter Melon, which may be the best Cola song to date. It's an absolutely infectious 6-minute cut packed full of infectious refrains that I haven't been able to stop listening to since it dropped as a single.
The lead up to the finale is one of the record's best sequences. Nice Try is the quietest song here that works to highlight just how compelling of a vocalist Tim is. Every little creak in his voice comes through up close and personal. It's no instrumental slouch either with a gentle swaying bridge and sentimental little guitar licks that sound great. That's contrasted with the next son Bell Wheel, the loudest cut here. It has a shattering frenetic guitar lead and tattering cymbal taps. It's also got one of the wildest vocal performances on the entire record spinning around in chaos throughout its entire excellent runtime.
Elsewhere there's Reprise one of my favorite deep cuts with short jagged refrains that remind me of the neurotic tenor of Ought. It also features some of the most grounded and interesting lyrics on the entire record. Similarly Keys Down If You Stay stands out with a masterfully saccharine chorus that serves as one of the record's most memorable moments.
Cola's jangly indie rock sound evolved out of some of the more experimental ambitions of their previous band but does it in a more accessible manner. That may put a ceiling on just how emotionally impactful The Gloss can be, but with an extremely consistent second half the band shows just how much they've honed down the exact style of songwriting and performance they're good at. What results is a record that won't leave anyone questioning what they thought they knew about music, but is sneakily memorable and impressively infectious throughout. 7/10
