Tucked in-between the ads on Craigslist for “busty” photo models and pleas from recent Berklee grads looking to teach people the skills they spent all of their busking money on, I was surprised to find the gem that is The Cold Beat. After listening to this album, I’m pretty sure the 90s was the best (and most influential) decade ever. I mean, most good bands that I hear nowadays have a clear 90s-rock influence, and The Cold Beat is no exception. Get Safe is a brilliant mix of punk and 90s pop/rock that can get anyone up and dancing.

The third track, Snake Oil, is reminiscent of Against Me! with its guitar and vocal build-up into a full-on punk rock ruckus. I thought that the use of gang vocals throughout the album (especially on The Ditch) added a nice depth to the tracks and round-out the punk rock feel of the record. The gang vocals work extremely well on I’ll Follow—I felt like I was out at a party with my friends and singing along with the band.

Hints of a prog-rock/spacey influence can also be heard on tracks like On The Way Down—think Foo Fighters, if Dave Grohl played solos on the moon.

Overall, I’m exceedingly pleased that my sifting through craigslist ads actually paid off for once. Get Safe is chock full of driving guitar riffs and raucous vocals; it’s the kind of music you listen to when you want to have a good time. So, if you like having a good time (and who doesn’t), head on over to their Bandcamp and have a listen. Oh, and if anyone is curious, I did not get that photo modeling gig.

--Daniel McMahon