Zip! – Cold (2021)
As life moves on, people we cared deeply for in the past often lose their place in our lives as each of us journey to something new. After being trapped at home in the pandemic and surrounded by memories of the past, Zip! has taken the movement of emotions around people and turned them into ‘Cold’. Through the single, they consider how a relationship with someone can change from being extremely close to someone who is no longer a fixture in your life.
This consideration of emotions and situations works through different moments and perspectives through the single. While surrounded by 80s and 90s music while growing up, Zach Taber draws on the emotional depths of singer-songwriters and bedroom-pop sensibilities. With an understated yet punchy sound, they pull you into the contemplations of the single.
‘Cold’ slowly creeps up on you with a delicate opening. There are layers to the melody that work together to form a wonderfully chilled feeling. This is covered in nostalgia making you think about people you used to know and the emotions they used to invoke. When the chorus hits, there is a slight change in the movement of the music. This is very subtle as the music twinkles with lights like the sun shining through ice. From the second verse, the percussion picks up to shuffle against your ears. The distinct sections within the melody transition perfectly and enhance the different parts of the single.
The first verse of the single is full of reminiscing over someone who used to be very close to you. The soft feeling of Taber’s vocals have you riding a gentle wave of nostalgia. The chorus changes perspective to provide a more objective view of the person you used to know and who you now are. The second verse changes from memories to a call out. The lyrics question their absence in your life and all the reasons that are commonly used to justify this. Through the single, you are taken on a wonderful journey through life and moving on from who you used to be. This is all set to a gentle yet emotive vocal performance.
Zip! uses three distinct sections in ‘Cold’ to work through memories of people you used to be close to, how you have moved on and why they are no longer around. The easy chilled vibes of the single lure you into a false sense of the depths of the track. Through the lyrics and emotive vocals, you are hit with a complex situation that many people have to face.
Find out more about Zip! on their Spotify.
