Color + Thunder are ready to smash perceptions on new EP.

 

There’s a lot of common theories on what happens when two people come together to form music. It’s generally perceived as being gentle and lilting, inoffensive acoustic-driven music. Conversely, there’s the idea that duos wind up being heavy hitting – The White Stripes, The Black Keys, God Damn, etc. There’s very little middleground as far as perceptions go.

Then there’s Color + Thunder, a duo consisting of musical and romantic counterparts Greer Ashton and Zach Beachum. The output of the duo is incredibly hard to pin down on their second and latest EP, The Manhattan. It opens with the aurally-pleasing, pop-rock anthemia of Golden, a track that pegs the outfit as something straightforward and mainstream, with subtle hints of The White Stripes – nothing wrong with that, though possibly not necessarily a sustainable sound for success.

My Way Home closely follows this path, veering a little more middle-of-the-road folk-pop under love-locked lyrics. Then, like a shotgun to the face, the fuzzy throes of My Kind blow both your mind and your you away. A deep bass lines ties together a driving drumbeat, dirty guitar lines and vocals that are delivered with a dark malevolence. It’s a complete musical shift from everything you’ve come to expect, which immediately reignites the sparks of listener interest.

Even as things fizzle back to a gentle acoustic froth to close the EP, the central climax of distorted guitars leave a lasting impression. In a world of tried-and-tested musical approaches that deviate little from the norm and expectation, Color + Thunder have found their strength in hitting back against pre-conceived notions of them as another musical couple to be dismissed. It’s impossible for listeners to not be swept up in the rush of melody and passion that C+T bring to the table.

The release may beg the question of what on Earth will their next release sound like, but the fact it drives listeners to ponder that is a step in the right direction. The Manhattan leaves us hanging on for something more, in the hopes that we can find some set sound to define this outfit by – the perfect way to make a lasting impression.