On the group’s “3ep,” the standout “Cold” calls for the vocalist to deliver his notes in a low, forceful way that aspires toward the dominating control of Ian Curtis. The Oklahoma City-based three-piece musically churns behind him, channeling the energy of punk (especially in the drums) through tight, restrained rhythms. The tension of vocals versus instrumental energy (and, within that, drums versus guitars) make for a great track.
The rest of the songs don’t capture that tension quite as well, but succeed on lesser levels. “Hold Captive” has another worthy vocal performance, while the underlying distorted guitar drone robs the guitar/drums tension. The drum parts in the verses of “Broken” give a nod to the trip-hop that Kill the Reflection formerly purveyed as a duo (it’s recently expanded to a trio), while the chorus transforms it into a standard rock song.
Kill the Reflection has a lot of room to grow as it figures out its sound, but “Cold” shows that there is great promise for the future. —Stephen Carradini
