Ideally, every business that operates in a community would keep that community’s best interests at heart. The people in a neighborhood are what make an area thrive, and their needs should come first. Sadly, that’s very often not the case. Giant corporations come in and do whatever they want to make a profit, neglecting to consider what would be best for everyone. New York’s Freezing Cold (Jeff Cunningham, Angie Boylan, and Nick Rice) are all too familiar with this. They’ve addressed it in their new song “Parentheses,” based off of a real, ongoing situation in their neighborhood. We’re proud to premiere “Parentheses” here today.
There’s no nonsense in Cunningham’s lyrics as he details the reckless abandon these faceless conglomerates push forward with. “The plan is the plan is the plan” he belts with palpable frustration on the chorus in between vivid imagery of corrosive greed and environmental damage. “Parentheses” is surprisingly upbeat and bright for the subject material, with Boylan setting the pace on drums and Rice’s bass plus Cunningham’s guitar happily humming along. This works wonders for the message of the song upon further thought, wrapping the truth in a shiny coat of paint just like the powerful executives try to paper over the reality of the situation they’re pushing. “Parentheses” is both an example of Freezing Cold’s strong musical core and their apt social commentary.
Cunningham went further into detail on the situation behind the track, telling us:
“‘Parentheses’ might be the most upbeat sounding song on ‘Glimmer,’ but the lyrical content contrasts that for sure. The song dives into the proposal (and likely imminent construction) of a new grade school next to an EPA designated toxic Superfund Site in the neighborhood. Very long story short, the site was previously the home of the Nuhart Plastics plant that oozed chemicals into the groundwater and soil via leaks in underground storage of hazardous chemicals. Developers are building housing there and a school to go with it. There has been a lot of neighborhood pushback, but the construction seems likely. I wrote the lyrics after a community meeting about the site a few months ago.”
You can listen to “Parentheses” below. The track is from Freezing Cold’s debut album Glimmer, which is set for release on September 28, with pre-orders available now. The band will play an album release show that night at The Footlight in New York.
