20 from 10: Colder
April 5, 2010
Part 6 of my top 20 albums released in the last decade.
Colder
[From] Paris, France
[Active] 2003-2006
[RIYL] Ladytron, Joy Division
[Seen live?] No
Colder - Heat
[Favorite track] “On My Mind”
Colder is Marc Nguyen Tan’s new wave rock project. Marc likely did not have career musician in his plans, as he only released two albums in the middle of the decade with limited touring and hasn’t resurfaced since. But he’s good at it, even if there isn’t much sonic variety to be found among his catalogue. AC/DC made a 35-year career of that and it worked out pretty well for them.
The bass tracks on Heat are every bit as forward as they were on Colder’s freshman release Again, but with a less muddy quality that takes the dub effect he was going for earlier and transforms it more into a post-punk and krautrock thing. Yes, 20 seconds of listening to opening track “Wrong Baby” and you’ll swear it was a re-work of Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control.” Not a bad thing, again, if it’s still good (and it’s outstanding). Marc strikes me as someone who listens to Brian Eno’s Before and After Science on vinyl as he smokes on the patio of his downtown Paris high rise. Plenty of background ambiance scattered throughout the album with strong performances by the electronics and rock instrumentation. Other highlights include plodding electropop jam “On My Mind,” with sultry (and sexy) vocal growlings, plus amazing nighttime groove “To The Music” and “Tonight” — which shows Colder still has some dub up its sleeve.
From YouTube videos that show Colder as a full band, it’s clear the cult following would turn out were they to try their hand at a tour again. But as that’s not bloody likely, enjoy this album for what it provides: Rocking club anthems, even if that club only exists in your head.
