Two-and-a-half years ago, a close friend of mine recommended that I go with her to see what was then a relatively unknown indie-rock quintet based out of Jackson by the name Colour Revolt. After seeing the group for the first time, I was, to be modest, elated to hear what I thought to be a refreshing and powerful sound coming from a local band that frequented the Mid-South area.I was so impressed, in fact, that I made it a priority to get a copy of the group’s eponymous EP not long after it was first released in late 2005. I was equally impressed with the recording and made it a priority to catch as many of the band’s gigs as I could over the next few years. Somewhere in that time, I forgot just how many times I’d seen Colour Revolt play (I stopped counting after 10), but after each show I would come away pleasantly surprised with what I had just heard.
Given that background, it may hardly seem fair to some that I am reviewing the group’s full-length debut, Plunder, Beg, and Curse. Admittedly, it is tough to be objective about a band you’ve followed for several years, but the material on this album proves to be enough of a departure from the EP to be considered a fresh start for the group.
“Naked and Red” leads off the album in bombastic fashion with a three-guitar attack and the fattest and deepest bass drum sound this side of John Bonham. Drummer Len Clark may as well be playing with tree trunks, but he proves to be agile as he switches back and forth between thundering 16th-note patterns on his snare drum and a funky backbeat. Lead vocalist/guitarist Jesse Coppenbarger’s half-hushed, half-rough vocal style is perfect for this song and the group’s overall sound.
Guitarist Sean Kirkpatrick’s backing vocals blend well with Coppenbarger’s on “A Siren,” particularly during the choruses and in the song’s closing moments. The band uses a wide range of dynamics and is able to strike a balance between restraint and intensity. As for lyrical content, Coppenbarger leaves nothing to complain about. He delicately touches on people’s struggles with faith (The hypocrites, they always say/ They think God is crazy/ “I respect him for what he does/ But I never knew what he did it for.”) without blatantly taking a side.
“Elegant View” deviates from the straightforward nature of the album’s first two tracks shows a more focused, ambitious side of the band. It begins only with sparse guitars and a quiet, reflective Coppenbarger vocal. Eventually, Clark comes in with a slow jazz rhythm that perfectly blends with the other instrumentation. This is a risk that paid off well for the album and shows the group’s versatility.
Lead guitarist Jimmy Cajoleas’ unpredictable and urgent style adds a lot of flavor and variety to “See It,” an otherwise subdued arrangement, while Coppenbarger continues to shine through his writing on the surprisingly delicate “Moses of the South.” The beautifully paced quasi-ballad contains some of his best penmanship (“Brother, you are my weakness/ I’ll listen and learn from your kindness/ Your wisdom is very thoughtless/ But your window is worth looking out from”) and is one of his best performances as a vocalist.
The album picks up speed again on the epic “Swamp,” as Patrick Addison’s clever bass lines aren’t heard as much as they are felt. Clark continues to hold his own as an effective percussionist. He makes complicated rhythms sound effortless and relaxed. He doesn’t stand out too much and brilliantly fills his role of serving the songs.
“Ageless Everytime,” perhaps the strongest song on the album, showcases Cajoleas and his talent for putting on the finishing touches and incorporating calculated riffs that flow well with the main melody.
“Innocent and All” sounds more off-the-cuff than anything else on Plunder, Beg, and Curse, but the unrehearsed feel provides a nice balance while still sounding like it belongs on this album. Kirkpatrick’s harmonizing is at its best and propels the song into repeated-listen territory.
“What Will Come of Us?” features the group going back to its roots. It isn’t the fireworks-heavy track you’d expect Colour Revolt to choose as an album closer (it’s actually quite the opposite), but this more laid-back recording ranks among the group’s strongest.
As cliché and as unsurprising as it may sound, it’s difficult to find anything negative about this album; especially if one keeps in mind the fact that it’s a debut. To me, it’s equally as unsurprising that Colour Revolt was able to assemble such a strong effort right out of the gate. And, despite my attempts at objectivity, such a staggering debut leaves me unable to be dispassionate. This is a likely “debut rock album of the year” candidate, and one would be hard-pressed to find anything that could top such a strong introduction.
Three of the five members of the band are about to graduate from Ole Miss, and while they haven’t “blown up” yet, they’re already very close, and there’s no doubt they will reach that level of exposure in their post-academic lives if they continue to create music of this quality. They have to be excited about what’s in store, and who could possibly blame them?