Cole Guerra

Cole Guerra

2000's - current
alternative indie
first song that reeled me in: "Buttoned Right" RAZOR, 2025

Okay, so, full transparency: there were actually three songs that reeled me in:

1.    "Buttoned Right"

2.    "Ohio"

3.    "Razor"

And the reason why there were all three, equally: this artist was recommended on my instagram / I checked them out on Spotify / The only selection I saw available to check out was this 3-track single/album called Razor. I laid in bed with the lights off that morning and let the three tracks pour over me. 

They are all three so dynamic. And I welcome them after that dumpster fire of boredom I just experienced in the previous blog! Let's go!

SCARVES & KNIVES (2005)

The piano of "Away Awhile" mix well with the somber strings and downtrodden vocals. But: do not mistake this as a simple, sad little intro: there is still that occasional sinister signature to the keys. This already feels promising. "Holed Up" begins and honestly feels a little closer to a 90's Hootie-and-the-Gin-Blossom vibe. Which has its place, but somehow is too catchy for this artist and feels a bit cheap. And just as I'm thinking this: there are some minor notes with the much-craved sourness to them. Bringing us closer to a Marc's Playground, perhaps. I could picture this being on the radio, for sure. Something that could not be said for the later tracks that hooked me. And we're back home!

...But not for long as the album almost turns country in "Gina". Cake made some country-sounding songs and I still liked them. But I'm not wild about this. None of the tracks, so far, are terrible or terribly "stand-out". "Lucky One" brings us closer to (a slightly boring version of) the O.G. tracks that pulled me in. "Off Off-Broadway" hooks me back in a bit harder with a kind of honky-tonk, New Orleans adjacent saloon piano and brass. (*Adds to "liked" songs*) The remainder of the album is a falls-just-short assemblage of the beloved tracks I originally fell for. 

RAZOR (2025)

Would I call them incredible/perfect tracks? No. But there is something so inherently interesting about them. The artist's unique voice and music selection sounds like the coolest soundtrack to the weirdest, fever dream of a movie you saw once when you were younger. There are parts in "Razor" that sound like good old fashioned Billy Joel. Parts that sound like a creepy, Tim Burton-esque track. "Ohio" swings in with the sound of impending doom... But also romance, somehow? The vocals begin quiet and slow, almost soothing against the dark surroundings, building to a desperation of full, nearly epic proportions. There's a clear, thought out story that builds. And the feeling is expressed and shared effectively. Finishing out the selection is "Buttoned Right". Not as dark, but there is still an edge here. Melancholy. The wind instruments come in as you realize you are walking in the dark of a manufactured "lonely city". The tall buildings cut the moon, barely visible past the neon signs. Your hands are in your pockets. Your eyes, downcast, working to help your body dodge the puddles. Maybe you should head to a bar to fight the loneliness. Very dramatic. 

Not a terrible peek into this artist's past - especially considering the ones I like are all of the latest creations (so maybe there's hope for the future!) and the ones I am not crazy about are well in the past at a staggering twenty years prior. 

I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for Cole Guerra's next pieces!