Scottish punks Cold Years challenge authority in their new song, “CHOKE.” The track is off of their upcoming album, A Different Life, which drops on April 26. The single is melodically driven with essences mixed in that capture anyone who’s a fan of the alt-rock scene.
Even on a different continent, Cold Years writes engaging lyrics that transcend those boundaries while being introspective in challenging the status quo. Not only does frontman Ross Gordon’s vocals resonate in line with Green Day’s lead, Billie Joe Armstrong, but he uniquely stands within his own sonic realm. Similarly, the variety of elements of sound, from the bridging guitar into the secondary verse of the song, gives a New Found Glory energy to a catchy chorus that borrows elements of Bayside and Yellowcard, making them stand out. Not quite pop-punk, yet not emo, it doesn’t matter where they fall genre-wise because they’ve crafted a distinct sound that amplifies those intricacies from the music scene.
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Gordon says that the album came from a difficult year: “We were all broken, but going in there and being in that environment and having good people around us gave us the energy to push through.” He continues that out of this, he realized what he wanted for his own life. “I look at all my friends who are getting married, settling down and having kids. I’m not ready for the picket fence just yet. This record’s about challenging normality and making your own future because you want a different life from everyone else. You miss a lot doing this—weddings, birthdays, anniversaries—so it’s this immense personal sacrifice, but it’s absolutely worthwhile.”
Fans can pre-order the LP here and check out the tracklisting below:
A Different Life Tracklisting:
- Over
- Roll With It
- Radio
- Low
- Youth
- Goodbye My Friend
- Choke
- Fuck The Weather
- Other Side
- Let Go
- Sick
- Die Tonight
