The sixth full-length effort from the stalwart Florida alt-rockers, The Things We Can't Stop is
Cold's first new collection of songs in eight years. Far removed from the harsh
Korn- and
Tool-influenced sound that earned the group commercial accolades in the early 2000s, the 12-track set hews closer to the dour, post-grunge atmospherics of 2011's
Superfiction. Commencing with the anti-bullying anthem "Shine," the first of a slew of midtempo rockers that flex both sonic and emotional heft, The Things We Can't Stop paces and frets, but unlike the group's early works, it does its best to bear the weight of the world instead of just raging against it. Frontman
Scooter Ward may be the lone original member, but
Nick Coyle (guitar, keys, backing vocals),
Lindsay Manfredi (bass), and Aaron Fulton (drums) are locked into the
Cold vibe, administering dense soundscapes for the brooding crooner to reckon with. ~ James Christopher Monger