Cold Nova is the product of Nashville musician Jacob Hillenbrand after a rather long pause from creating. The musician got back in the recording studio and put together a self-titled EP Cold Nova that showcases the new direction and future of the band. The overall sound has a very recognizable ’80s feel to it with reverb and echoey sounds splashed left and right.
The album starts out with the track “Hold Me Down” which actually sounds exactly what you would image when you hear the word “Nova.” The song starts out with a super electro introduction with a grungy, raspy electronic sound that almost sounds like an early Nintendo game. Once the rest of the band kicks in, you get a classic ‘80s pop disco rock band sound. It has spacey vocals, grungy guitars and a poppy upbeat rhythm with banging drums and a keyboard moving it all along. Like I said, “Nova.” The whole album is somewhat pretty monotone in that the majority of the tracks sound pretty similar, or rather have the same rhythm and melody. The second track of the album though, “Another Race To Run” actually does have somewhat of a different sound and vibe. This track has a much heavier, funkier bass line. The bass is the most prominent part of the track, and is accompanied by a slower “boom-bap” drum beat that’s a bit different than the other tracks. It’s a fun listen, and has calm vocals the entire time. After this song though, the album goes back to it’s traditional ‘80s like sound with the other tracks. The musician is clearly experienced, though, and is surrounded by quality recording experts. “Downing of the Day” has extremely clean guitars throughout, and even the touch of the shakers in the background help give this album a bit more character. The composition is excellent, and is probably Cold Nova’s strongest characteristic. The vocals marry the vibe of the song perfectly, the composition is very smooth. The rhythm and melody stays pretty consistent throughout all of Cold Nova. While it does not have the most exciting vibe, unless you are an absolute ‘80s lover and love poppy slightly repetitive sounds, the recording is on point. It’s an emotional album and a fun listen, although it could have used a bit more creativity or uniqueness.
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