Up and Comers Music

Release date: November 6th

EP Release Show: November 7th, Pie Shop, Washington DC

Color Palette’s Zombie EP sees this dynamic songwriter exploring new avenues of indie rock and pop and taking his compositions to new heights. With more reliance on guitar riffs and tight rock beats than in his previous releases, Color Palette shows here that he is still experimenting and finding new tones for expression. And ironically, though the lyrics are at times more jubilant in this release, the riffs here are a touch darker and set in minor keys. This juxtaposition of light and dark establishes a paradigm of deepening emotion and musical intrigue from the DC-based artist.

The more guitar-focused motif of the EP is immediately apparent from the start of the opening track, Zombie. The first verse is laden with a simple one note guitar riff and tight, high-hat centered drum beat, immediately evoking the style of Albert Hammond Jr. and The Strokes. Interestingly, the chorus contains more of a cathartic, guitar-trashing, bar-chord-based sound, which feels much more like Catfish and the Bottlemen. And then in the post-chorus, we return to The Strokes-esque sound with dueling nostalgia-laden guitar riffs. In track 2, Nights Alone, Color Palette continues on the guitar-based indie rock theme but in an entirely different bass-centric format reminiscent of more laid back acts like Beach Fossils and The Drums.

In the third track, Anywhere At All, Color Palette leans into darker instrumentation and effects, as we noted in our earlier write-up of this previously released single. Despite the more grungy guitars, Anywhere At All is a love song about how the singer would ditch his friends to go anywhere that the object of his affections wants to go. Track 4, Grateful, provides a similar juxtaposition of darkness and light. What starts as a foreboding guitar riff in the style of Fontaines DC turns into a song about what seems to be gratitude. And in Laura Palmer, we get mournful harmonies and a biting Strokesy feel, yet the lyrics seem to express a sincere sense of love: “Oh Laura, blue skies have nothing on you”. 

Is he playing with irony here with these contrasts? We have to guess probably not. In fact, as a listener, it’s the juxtapositions that deepen the brilliance and emotionality of the songs. Color Palette’s happy words are not saccharine; amongst the jubilant phrases, there lies a tinge of sadness and darkness, perhaps reflecting a mistrust of anything too sweet.

The EP closes with two reworkings of earlier tracks. In Anywhere At All (Tascam 388 Version), Color Palette slows down the tempo and softens the edge of this previously heavier song. It is a gorgeous, goosebump-evoking reimagining of the song that is truly one of the high points of the EP. In the final track, the Gr1mm Remix of Nights Alone, the remixer turns the fairly chill beachy tune into a fast-paced, punchy house track that feels fitting for a dance party. Interestingly, the remix gives the lyrics of the refrain (“Nights alone, I don’t feel like myself when you’re not at home”) a whole new meaning. While previously more melancholy, these lyrics feel more like a celebration of love in the remix. 

As is typical, Color Palette brings home the goods in this latest EP Zombie. The turn toward more guitar-based hooks in this collection of songs presents a new dimension to his sound that only leaves us wondering where he might go next. For now, we can delight in this 7-track cornucopia of well-produced, ear-pleasing indie rock and pop. 

The Zombie EP drops on November 6, so be sure to follow Color Palette on Spotify and Instagram to stay up to date on the release. If you’re anywhere near DC, don’t miss hearing these tracks live at the EP release show on November 7th.

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