Plunder, Beg And Curse is a difficult album to latch onto. Whereas Colour Revolt’s debut EP was an emotional roller coaster that showcased the band’s penchant for melodies and emotion soaked rhythms, Plunder, Beg And Curse, takes the road less traveled. I am not quite sure what happened with the band’s label deal. The band originally signed to a subsidiary of Interscope to re-release their EP but Plunder, Beg And Curse appears courtesy of blues gone indie rock label, Fat Possum. And frankly, after listening to Plunder, Beg And Curse, I can tell why a major label would want to stay far, far away. They have no clue how to sell or market a record like this (or any records nowadays…hehe).
Lyrically, Colour Revolt have always been anything but light. That theme certainly continues on Plunder, Beg And Curse. The band is displaying some heavy lyrical imagery here. Religious and spiritual tones color the album’s canvas, almost to a fault. There are a few moments, like on the warm, atmospheric tracks “See It” and “Moses Of The South,” where the band chooses to come up for some much-needed air and brief levity. Much of the time though, Plunder, Beg And Curse is cold and suffers under its own weight. The band has a hard time adjusting the tempo and dynamics of their songs as well. Because of all this, Plunder, Beg And Curse struggles to make a lasting impression on the listener.
Colour Revolt are a challenging band and anyone looking for a cheap thrill from a rock record should definitely look elsewhere. Plunder, Beg And Curse suffers from the band’s complete shunning of what made their debut EP such a breath of fresh air. On the other hand, you have to admire a band seemingly unwilling to compromise their art. It is abundantly clear that Colour Revolt know exactly what they want and they certainly give it a valiant effort on Plunder, Beg And Curse. Perhaps next time, they can meet the listener somewhere in the middle.
Genre: Indie/Americana/Rock
RIYL: Modest Mouse, Archers Of Loaf, Brand New
Label: Fat Possum
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