Single Review: Cold Years – Northern Blue EP

The Northern Blue EP is a collection of stunning songwriting from Scottish quartet Cold Years, their latest EP is a further exploration of their UK take on the Americana sound that originally catapulted Bruce Springsteen into the limelight, and has since been adopted by contemporaries like The Gaslight Anthem and The Menzingers. Northern Blue contains four tracks of relatable, hopeful blue collar anthems that speak of the often bleak industrial Scotland they call home, but also of the lives and loves they find themselves inextricably intertwined amongst, and the beauty that lies within the grey granite walls of Aberdeen.

Northern Blue opens with the lead single, Seasons, a track that carries the heartland feel and openness, but this is matched with a higher energy level that carries over into Miss You To Death, it’s this that gives the opening brace of songs an edge in what has become a very crowded scene in recent years. The second half of the Northern Blue EP see’s a completely different style on display, What I Lost and Final Call sees Cold Years take their foot of the gas and drop into a more familiar raw and passionate heartland style that lacks the urgency of the duo of tracks that opened the EP.

You can’t help but compare the Northern Blue EP to the likes of The Gaslight Anthem and The Menzingers, but that’s not the end of the story, Cold Years also carry a touch of Husker Du in their more driven tracks that gives those songs a spark of energy that raises them above many of the bands that are delivering amped up Springsteen influenced heartland rock. For me the Northern Blue EP is a release that displays two very distinct halves that blend together seamlessly, and as such it’s a perfect showcase for those wanting to become acquainted with Cold Years.

The Northern Blue EP can be pre-ordered via Homebound Records here