Cold Specks isn’t such a reach for a second stage name when your first stage name is Al Spx. Pseudonyms became necessary to protect innocent parties, namely, disapproving parents who have since made peace with the idea of a daughter with a musical career instead of a medical one. Cold Specks the name has Joycean lineage (Ulysses, no less) and Cold Specks the person creates music with serious lineage as well: soul, gospel and r & B; music of suffering, sadness, and redemption.
The Cold Specks sound is what has been called “Doom Soul”, and it has nothing to do with with the sinking feeling that occurs when contemplating the pronunciation challenges associated with this artist, whose hometown of Etobicoke, Canada, further stresses one’s phonetic decoding skills. The 24-year-old singer currently lives and records in London, where she’s pulled together a six-piece band and in May of this year put out her first album, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion. The music is deeply influenced by the sonic pathos of the Deep South, exuding a haunting and hymnal feel.
The video below is film of a majestic live performance she gave at London’s Hoxton Hall, which showcases musicians in its highly-regarded Hoxton Hall Sessions.
