The Boxer Rebellion-Unconventional And Haunting

I always enjoy a sound that reminds me of a place I’d like to be. You know those great Ketel One Vodka commercials, in black and white, with square-chinned men having debonair evenings in highly fashionable suits and being kind to exotic women while they have their fun? I love those commercials and the idea they represent. The music on their new album (The Cold Still)… it’s what those men would listen to after they got home, loosened their neckties, watched it rain, and either kissed the lady or shot the spy. But I say that as a man, so if you’re a woman, hit the reversal button.

No Harm can come to a person who lives like that or listens to this kind of music. Were you to Step Out Of The Car and be Caught By The Light, your silhouettes would palpitate with the shadows.

If you like being Locked In The Basement and listening to high, haunting echoes, you’re in for a treat. They don’t exist on every song, but there is little Doubt they provide a certain mood and context that can’t escape you. They pull you in.

Based out of London, The Boxer Rebellion do a wonderful job of changing up the rhythm of the album. Some pieces drive you, but with a feel you don’t know where you’re about to go. No Cause For Alarm though, the other pieces bring you back. And if you’re wondering about either, Both Sides Are Even. You want to go, and you want to come back.

Their previous album, ‘Union,’ was a solid piece of work, but I have to say ‘The Cold Still’ is a little more mesmerizing. And aching. And monumental. And tantalizing. You want Organ Song from inside your spirit to cool the rest of the world around you. You want the energy of the world consolidated in your hands as you take it over.

The driver should drive to this, The Runner should run to this. The course of the album provides all the characters you’ll want to feel like while you listen to the words. You’ll understand the emotions the album portrays, the time it represents, and the soothing bookend you’ll rest against afterward.

Memo to all, to many, to you… for the great taste in all of us, pick up this album, pick your favorite spot, and pour your attention to it. Let it ride on you. Let it start something for you.

You can see their look, style, tour schedule, and other goodness at www.theboxerrebellion.com.

(as seen in Hoot & Hare 1)