These Cold And Rusted Lungs is the debut full-length record release by artist and musician Amy Courts
Amy Courts is preparing to release the follow up to her successful self-titled EP. These Cold And Rusted Lungs is scheduled for a July 29th release. Honestly, I didn’t know who Amy Courts was one week ago, and I never before listened to any of her music. But after a few listens of an advanced copy of the disc (sent for review on Tribe), I became an instant fan. Music connoisseurs rejoice! These Cold And Rusted Lungs is not only radio friendly, but also artistically poignant and rich! That’s a rare feat for any contemporary artist, but especially so for one whose career is built upon an independently released EP.
My rating: stars
It will become clear, upon your first listen of These Cold And Rusted Lungs, that Amy Courts is first and foremost an artist, musician, and songwriter. This is a rarity in the music industry, regardless of the genre. She wrote every song on These Cold And Rusted Lungs, with the exception of “Breathe,” which is credited to Paul Koopman. The melodic layers and poignant lyrics fuse honesty, emotion, and a raw passion for God that begs listeners to engage the songs on a much deeper level. It’s very difficult to remain a casual listener of Amy Courts’ music. You will be moved, in spite of your best efforts to simply listen. These Cold And Rusted Lungs is at times haunting, as a cursory listen to the nearly a cappella track “O Holy God” will undoubtedly reveal. Incidentally, “O Holy God” is reach back towards New Testament Christian singing, which was for the most part a cappella. “O Holy God” is as close to that sort of expression as it gets. The track is as spiritually haunting as it is artistically outstanding.
Other tracks, such as “Shiver,” “In You,” and “The Liars” are rock influenced experiences. Her vocal ability and style compliment the rock-fused arrangements in ways that are just not common these days. The instrumental layers and vocal melodies are seamlessly combined in deep and rich fashion. The result is energetic, emotional, beautiful, and heavy. These songs will sound familiar, but somehow different, because Amy has struck that rare balance between commercial accessibility and artistic expertise. These tracks are absolutely ready for commercial radio.
The album’s remaining tracks are simply mesmerizing. Melodically, lyrically, and experientially, tracks like “Stand” stand out as beyond special. In “Stand,” Amy’s passionate cry resonates: “Take me home / Away from this place / Away from what’s empty / And only makes breathing irrelevant / Take me home / Away from this distraction / It’s endlessly stealing / All the purpose and feeling within my bones / Oh no, I can’t wait any longer / Oh no, I can’t wait any more / I can not stand / One more moment / Of tireless living / And endlessly giving what I don’t have / No, I can not stand / One more moment / When nothing is perfect / It just doesn’t seem worth it to try again / Take me home / Away from this madness / Where nothings worth having / And everyone is grabbing for something more / Take me home / Away from what I’ve become / Away from this tolerance / And this ceaseless indifference to what I know.” It would be remarkable if there was one track like “Stand” on this album, but These Cold And Rusted Lungs hosts nine others just like it. Once you learn all of the lyrics, I promise you will be singing along with all the contagious passion and rawness contained by the songs themselves. Amy’s art naturally imparts passion. So, prepare yourself for the sing-a-long. And don’t fret if you can’t sing like Amy - because you won’t be able too! But the passion is there and it is contagious. So, sing!
Amy is obviously gifted, versatile, and at all times passionate and honest. Every track is a dive into human experience, spiritual frailty, and a thirsty search for God. In a world of over-produced Christian pop, and corny Jesus songs, Amy Courts’ These Cold And Rusted Lungs is a godsend. It is better than most sermons. It is that good. Look for its release on July 29th. The album will undoubtedly be embraced by music fans and critics alike. Grab this album!