From the ashes of Canadian indie-rock band Ought come Cola, a trio that, although still firmly in the indie-rock sphere, are arguably a much darker, and more direct musical force. Formed by bandmates Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy, the pair joined up with U.S. Girls drummer Evan Cartwright, and released their first single ‘Black Curtain’ back in late 2021. Now, they’re here with new single ‘So Excited’, a song that hints at what is to come.
The song wastes no time, kicking in immediately with the main groove. Singer Tim Darcy’s deep, broody, and almost monotonous tones sail discreetly across the verses, before the chorus takes things up a notch. Distant, fuzzy distortion fills the track, as Darcy sings “if you are so excited, then you are so invited”, an invitation to fans and new listeners alike to get on board. The melody lifts the track beyond its groove-rich bass line and jangly guitars, while also allowing the instrumentation to breathe. There’s a mid-2000s Radiohead vibe in the chord choices, that could see Cola sit comfortably in a lineup beside the legendary band.
If The Smile or Red House Painters are your jam, then ‘So Excited’ should make you just that. Cola are a band that know their sound, and although unsurprising given each member’s previous repertoire, it’s refreshing to see that these musicians clearly haven’t lost their spark, and are still eager to try something new. Ought who?
Words: Ryan Bulbeck // Photo: OK Pedersen
‘So Excited’ is out now, taken from Cola’s forthcoming debut album ‘Deep in View’, out May 20th via Fire Talk. Pre-order the album and stream the track via Bandcamp.