Almost exactly one year after their debut album, Enough Thoughts for Two, the Colonies released the lead single to their follow-up album, “Battle Cry.” The group, currently consisting of Pete Stevens (guitar, vocals), Joey Mamlin (drums), Jordan Mullaney (bass), and Dylan Trupiano (guitar) said goodbye to the band’s keyboardist earlier this year, and this is the first single they’ve written since. The band had to adjust, slightly changing their sound in the process.
“Battle Cry” is carried by a colorful riff on the rhythm guitar, and the combination with the bass melody underneath a bright snare on the drums lends the song a uniquely youthful melody reminiscent of bands like The Strokes and The Walkmen, where Pete says most of the album’s influence came from. The absence of the keyboard solos commonly heard in their previous album leaves room for an abundance of guitar solos that effortlessly carry this song, and that will likely carry the rest of the album, according to lead singer and guitarist Pete Stevens.
“Battle Cry” moves more into dream pop territory than the band’s previous album, and Stevens said that listeners can expect even more mellow songs on the upcoming album. For fans, this may mean fewer songs like the catchy blues-inspired “Toxic” on Enough Thoughts for Two.
Despite the band’s evolution, they remain consistent with their signature live-studio sound that makes their songs sound so personable and authentic. According to Pete, the rest of the album will have a similar sound to “Battle Cry,” although the lead single serves as the first recorded song after the departure of Luke. “The album is written, but we still have to record the rest of the songs,” he said.
The Colonies’ second album is expected to hit the shelves this upcoming fall.
Alexandra Hardle 