Fronted by Canadian singer-songwriter Al Spx, Cold Specks are a band on a mission. On their new album they have concocted a dark yet soulful blend of jazz and gothic rock.
‘A Broken Memory’ opens the record. A fascinating cocktail of doom and gloom, it’s built on spooky organs, choppy Creedence-like guitar work and a voice somewhere between Macy Gray, Nina Simone and Morticia Adams. The presence of a bright (and lonely) trumpet makes this the pick of the bunch.
But the record quickly dips into filler via ‘Old Knives’ and ‘A Quiet Chill’. Thankfully, ‘Let Loose The Dogs’ and the album’s first single, ‘Absisto’, banish the gloom. Both are reasonable stabs at a meatier electro sensibility – and a welcome break in the chain.
On occasion, the lyrics are overly-theatrical, and packed with elaborate similes. ‘A Season Of Doubt’ finishes matters on a high. Neuroplasticity is an attempt at innovation and the results are interesting, but it doesn’t always land its punches.
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