THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Cold Stares’ seventh studio album The Southern comes by its title honestly.
Although they have become known for their electrifying blend of blues-rock, the trio dive deep into their Southern roots for the first time on this LP, creating a work that embodies a true reflection of their heritage. “When it came time to record this album, I thought about everybody giving us this Southern-rock tag, and decided to intentionally write songs that explore that,” says singer-guitarist Chris Tapp. “In doing so, I realized that being Southern, for me, is more than an accent, and a setlist of songs. It’s about family and tradition.”
Though the sound originates from south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the group also mine a woolier sound than expected this time out. Fuzzed-out guitars, Led Zeppelin-style riffs, and fleet-fingered Cream-style improvisations abound, as do nods to Delta blues. “Our version of the South is different,” says Tapp. “When (drummer Brian Mullins) and I were young, we would sit in with these old guys at the local lodge, at the time they were still playing the old hits by Bad Company, Robin Trower and AC/DC mixed in with country and southern-rock artists like The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. When I heard Free’s All Right Now, I thought they were from Georgia!”
Drawing from the wild tales his grandfather shared with him, Tapp’s cinematic songwriting weaves narratives as vivid as the Western movies they watched together. These stories of crooked cops and outlaw heroes and local legends like Hoppy — who tapped out rhythms while shining shoes — infuse the album with a rich, narrative depth. It is thus fitting that one of the standout tracks is Coming Home, a song that encapsulates the essence of these tales and the sense of returning to one’s roots.”
