In 2008, not happy with the their label, Colour Revolt’s frontman Jesse Coppenbarger decided to drop the label, and in-so-doing found himself without a band. Overnight, Colour Revolt was without a guitar player, a bass player, and a drummer, leaving only the two founders Coppenbarger and Sean Kirkpatrick. Now, two years later, creating their own imprint, New Fear, and with a brand new band, Colour Revolt released The Cradle, a sonically vivid and emotionally honest collection of songs that not only details the band’s history, but also lays down the groundwork for their future.

The Cradle opens with the edgy “8 Years,” a rambunctious depiction of the eight years of Colour Revolt’s life. Angst over the abrupt departure of three members of the band can be felt in the aggressive lyrics and musical styling. The song kicks off The Cradle with a bang, Coppenbarger’s lyrics grabbing you by the collar and demanding your attention while he sings his story. “8 Years” feels as though Coppenbarger had to get these things off his chest immediately before anything else can be said, before the new album can proceed. It’s a great opening number and sets the stage for the rest of the album.

The Cradle has its hard rockers, most notably “Heartbeat”, with its heavy, punkish sound, and “Mona Lisa”, a great rock number with a killer dance beat and a guitar/piano combo that really shows off the band’s energy. The song “The Cradle” is another hard rocker whose heavy guitar blasts mimic well the frustration of Coppenbarger’s trying to come to terms with the past so that he can move on. Near the end of the song, the heavy guitars break down almost into nothing as Coppenbarger whispers the wonderful line, “I scream until I’m stable.”

The Cradle also has its soulful bits. “Our Names” opens softly with a light piano melody with acoustic guitars and a heavy beat, that steadily builds the tempo, allowing the song to grow into a sonically gorgeous tune with playful guitar licks blending nicely with the soulfully melodic piano. “Everything is Just the Same” is a soulful lamenting of our inner demons. Coppenbarger’s voice is beautifully melancholy as he croons “darkness knows I have a weakness,” over a brooding piano and almost mystical sounding guitar. Both of these songs are testament to the depth of emotions felt in the lyrics and the ability of the band to transition them into something beautiful.

The song “Reno” is the story of Colour Revolt’s breakdown and rebirth as told through fictional characters fighting to make it in a strange place. The lyrics show a maturation of Coppenbarger’s writing style as well as his resolution to take what life has given him and move on, as he sings, “I know that new fears begin tomorrow/ but tonight I’ll think only on the absence of things.” These lines show an emotional depth and a spiritual maturity that all the previous songs on the album help build toward, and end the album on a note of strength and optimism.

Though Colour Revolt’s new album does have its moments of venting, The Cradle, as its name implies, is an album about rebirth. There is an arc of emotional maturation from the start of the album with “8 Years” to its conclusion with “Reno”. This gives The Cradle a well-rounded feel, and indeed, implies good things for the future of the band.