It's
often easy to label a band based on the company they keep. You assume
that if they tour with certain bands or sign to a certain label, then
of course they must be of a similar style. Whilst that's true of many
bands, there are always going to be a few exceptions. Colossal
fall into the latter category. To call them a punk band would be
far too easy. Punk is too simple a definition for exactly what their
music is. The truth is, there isn't really a easy definition for
Colossal. The band described themselves as a “rock, post-punk,
jazz, and pop, indie rock outfit” which
is about as good a description as any. There is even a hint of Math
Rock to their complex rhythms and stunning technical ability, though
they forgo the rigid structures of that particular niche genre for a
looser, jazzier feel. But their music is something more than the sum
of all those different elements. There is a melancholy soul to their album
“Welcome The Problems”. Perhaps its because the band come from
Elgin, illinois and my preconceptions about the place have coloured
my view, but to me this album is the perfect soundtrack for walking
through suburban streets in the winter.
