EP Review: Cold Water Swimmers – We Are Building A Spaceship

The “We Are Building A Spaceship” EP is the debut physical release from Manchester’s Cold Water Swimmers that is now available via their new label DIY or DIE, all tracks on the EP were recorded with Simon Ding Archer (Bobbie Peru / As Able As Kane / The Fall) at 6DB Studios, Salford. The “We Are Building A Spaceship” EP includes all three of the singles that were released digitally in 2019, plus there is an additional exclusive track, one which apparently will never be made available through streaming or download services. We were introduced to Cold Water Swimmers last year as part of an impressive line up at an Abattoir Blues Records curated showcase, the hazy memories of which remind me just how much I miss live music.

The “We Are Building A Spaceship” EP is arranged in chronological order so first up is their debut single ‘Summer Breeze‘, a rhythmic bass line takes the lead on a track that carries an undertone of menace, this is followed by ‘Burn Your Idols‘ that maintains the undertone of their debut but brings a garage sneer and waves of feedback. The final, and the finest, instalment of their 2019 singles is ‘Robots‘, a driven punk anthem that channels the raw edge of new wave and the first wave of UK punk bands. The reason many will be holding this EP in their paws will be the exclusive, until someone leaks it online, track “Love Is Insane‘, and it’s worth the investment, a perfect moody garage rocker and hopefully a sign of what’s to come from Cold Water Swimmers.

 When I caught Cold Water Swimmers live they struck me as band who delivered “dark brooding garage punk that channels the spirit of the Stooges and who ignite the molotov cocktail with a touch of incendiary punk attitude”, and I think that summary stands up for their debut EP. If “We Are Building A Spaceship” is any sign of what’s to come from Cold Water Swimmers then there is something else to look forward to post lockdown. The CD release of “We Are Building A Spaceship” is limited to only 81 copies with the first forty being signed by the band, so if you want a copy you’ll probably need to be quick, but if you do miss out ‘Summer Breeze‘, ‘Burn Your idols‘ and ‘Robots‘ are all available to download and stream via Bandcamp. 

The “We Are Building A Spaceship” EP can be purchased on CD via Bandcamp here