The South Carolina band’s debut, this 2004 self-titled record stands as a model of effective post-grunge. Driven by the single Cold, an implacable chorus that became a radio classic of the decade, Crossfade weds heavy riffs, sturdy melodies and a touch of electronic programming inherited from nu-metal.
Ed Sloan’s voice, rough and melodic at once, gives body to lyrics about breakup and remorse. Tracks like So Far Away confirm a real feel for the rock ballad, while the ample production supports the whole. The album invents nothing and stays bound to the codes of its era, but it executes them with remarkable consistency. A solid, cohesive debut, one of the emblematic records of mid-2000s American rock.
