Mellow out with Colour of Bone’s ‘keep It That Way’ [stream]

Colour of Bone – Keep It That Way SoundCloud

“Keep It That Way”, the new single from UK up-and-comers, Colour of Bone, has the delicacy of an Elliot Smith song or perhaps even early Bright Eyes. The track forces you to slow down, really focus on what you’re listening to and ultimately, sing along. Despite the aforementioned reference points, what prevents “Keep It That Way” from moving into sad-dude-at-a-coffee-shop-with-his-guitar territory are the band’s sophisticated instrumental accompaniments. Right around the song’s 40-second mark, a perfectly placed xylophone-tinged melody is introduced within the bridge, accenting the lyrical melody by matching the syllables against the beat. Then, around 2 minutes in, a string section signals the end of the song, eventually devolving into a hazy guitar riff that might sound more fitting in a biker bar than this song. Somehow, though, Colour of Bone make it work.

Curious to know more about the band, who seem to purposefully keep their Facebook and website bio information sparse, I explored some of their other songs. ”Keep It That Way” is in sharp contrast to their earlier singles, “Low Mode” and “Itch”, which are more in the heavy rock/alternative vein, reminding me a bit of fellow UK residents Foals. I was surprised that such a traditionally hard band could supply the perfect song for my Sunday morning, but I’ll take it!