Cold Court's debut EP pairs rock riffs with digital distortion
The Philadelphia brother-sister duo’s 21-minute Hands Up EP mixes dance punk, prog rock, hyperpop and heavy computer editing.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
Cold Court, a brother-sister act from Philadelphia, has released its debut EP, a 21-minute project known as Hands Up. The Verge’s Terrence O’Brien described the record as a dense mix of rock-band writing and computer-scrambled production, with references to hyperpop, dance punk and prog rock.
The EP’s stylized title is \ (^_^) /, also referred to as Hands Up, according to The Verge. O’Brien wrote that the group, made up of Mini and Jojo, appears to build songs first from drums and guitar before reshaping them with digital editing, added layers and effects.
The review places Cold Court near the maximalist side of current pop experimentation. O’Brien compared the project’s surface-level feel to the hyperpop associated with 100 Gecs, while saying Cold Court’s tone is more earnest than the pop-punk and emo jokes heard in 100 Gecs songs such as “Dumbest Girl Alive.”
According to The Verge, opener “Nina” begins with a sound reminiscent of mid-2000s dance-punk acts such as Franz Ferdinand and Test Icicles. The track then shifts as its rough guitar part is digitally cut up, followed by a more relaxed prog-style bridge that O’Brien linked to the Mars Volta, before closing in heavy glitch effects.
The single “Burn” is presented in the review as the clearest example of the EP’s blend of elements. O’Brien cited rock riffs, synth tones compared with Daft Punk, dubstep-style edits, autotuned singing and a rapped bridge, while noting that the parts still hold together as one track.
Other songs pull the same approach in different directions, according to The Verge. “Cola” moves at a slower pace and removes some of the density without lowering the volume, while “Glass” pushes its chopped guitar parts toward math rock. O’Brien described closer “Light” as a bright, blown-out prog track.
The review argues that the EP’s short length works in its favor. O’Brien wrote that a full album built from the same constant intensity could become tiring, but said Hands Up ends before that approach wears thin.
Hands Up is available on major streaming services, including Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Qobuz and Deezer, according to The Verge.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.