Columbia

Columbia ’s latest EP aims to build on the legacy of classic British 1970s rock.
All the right sounds are here; things are kept real and unaffected, with enough simple grit to add weight to the hackneyed but convincingly foot-tapping tunes.
The focus track Peace of My Heart is the most appealing number on the EP, asserting itself after a slow start with dynamic riffing and some irresistible beats. Its Jet-worthy chorus would make the verses suffer by comparison if it weren’t for the lively drumming and the guitarists’ well-chosen moments of restraint.
Peace Of My Heart is proof positive that this EP is indeed styled after classic rock. The whole disc is a pastiche of the standard progressions, painted liberally with pentatonic solos (although many bends are off the mark, and the use of minor pentatonics over major progressions in some tracks is grating), cool feedback and a healthy dose of tambourine, which adds life to any track.

Another bold tune, You Can Have It All hooks you with an ear-catching change of pace and some handy backing vocals, coming across as a tip of the hat to Oasis and Primal Scream (or whoever those bands were tipping their own hats to when they nailed this in the 1990s). It’s here in particular that vocalist / guitarist Ross Wood ’s voice exhibits the crucial rasp and attitude needed to carry things off, which is half the battle won.

Nightrain (should that be night-train, night-rain or nigh-train?) is a neat slice of low-down stripper-pole rock that is indeed about a train. It’s quickly followed by the plodding introspection of Take Over The World , complete with lush ‘ooooh’ backing vox and those pesky misplaced minor pentatonic lines.

Wanna Get High closes the EP with some loose-wristed acoustic strumming, decent slide playing, high-pitched organ and a laid-back demeanour.

Columbia send some messages in their bio; on one hand claiming that all they want to do is get you on your feet to dance, and on the other they ask you to ‘expect big things’. If the former is true, then their job is done.
If major success is their true aim, then they’ll need to lift their songcraft into exceptional territory, which may take some added lyrical inspiration, a stronger commitment to image (if you’re gonna go classic, go all the way; bassist Richard Cardy should grab himself a Fender or a Rickenbacker) and some killer twists on the format.
As things stand right now they’ve got a strong disc to build upon, which is a very solid start
- Fasterlouder.com.au

Columbia arrived on stage with a full house in tow; the influx of punters filled things out nicely and gave the headliners a welcome boost as they kicked things off.
Quite the Geographiles, Columbia’s Brit-rock bent seems tinged with traces of New Zealand’s Shihad with a healthy dose of the Aussie Pub push. It’s definitely not rocket science, but the crowd seemed only concerned with big chords and pounding beats, which is what the Columbia lads served up on a platter.
As far as special mentions go, Columbia’s frontman Rosco Wood has to take the trophy after having already punched out an earlier set as an axeman in The Long Strides. Wood’s capable rock voice broke through the mix to lend Columbia’s four-on-the-floor an aggressive edge that got the punters on board and the band over the line.

Columbia managed to pull this one out of the fire and in doing so proved their intent and measure.

_GRANT MCCULLOCH - Xpress Mag