- Words Talitha Messham
Indie-jazz project Cold Beaches unveil their new single 'Up and Down', a grief-driven elegy as part of their album Ambient Joy.
Paris-based indie-jazz outfit Cold Beaches, led by DC-born songwriter Sophia Nadia, return with their nostalgia-soaked new album Ambient Joy. The lead single ‘Up and Down’ traverses the liminal space between heaven and earth, in a grief-driven elegy to Sophia’s own experience of loss.
Written over several years, the LP wrestles with the intense emotions of heartbreak and anxiety, but never loses sight of tenderness or light. “Ambient Joy is about finding joy in the things that may not seem as exciting,” Sophia explains. “As mundane as life can be, you learn to be grateful for the monotony… it’s in the acceptance of that grey area that one may find ambient joy.”
‘Up and Down’ embodies her conviction perfectly. The track captures the disorientation of losing a friend through raw vocals and tender lyricism, tied together with a regal grand piano. The track speaks to a stunning yet painful entry point into a record that finds beauty in life’s sharpest edges.
Throughout the album, lush indie-jazz textures set against weighty lyrical themes. With past tours alongside Crumb, Slow Pulp, and Boyscott, Cold Beaches are poised to continue to rise within the indie-jazz spheres.