{"id":44452,"date":"2026-02-21T17:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T22:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44452"},"modified":"2026-02-18T20:20:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T01:20:06","slug":"cola-announce-new-album-cost-of-living-adjustment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44452","title":{"rendered":"Cola announce new album\u00a0\u2018Cost of Living Adjustment\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Montreal trio&nbsp;<strong>Cola<\/strong>&nbsp;are back with details of their third album,&nbsp;\u2018Cost of Living Adjustment,\u2019 landing May 8th via&nbsp;<strong>Fire Talk Records<\/strong>. Alongside the announcement comes the album\u2019s lead single, <em>Hedgesitting<\/em>, paired with a beautifully understated video directed by Kristina Pedersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve been following Cola\u2019s evolution post-Ought, you already know the buzz is real. Critics have been locked in:\u00a0<em>Rolling Stone<\/em>\u00a0praised the band\u2019s \u201c<em>own fun little take on modern alienation,<\/em>\u201d while\u00a0<em>Pitchfork<\/em>\u00a0highlighted Tim Darcy\u2019s uncanny ability to pull meaning from the everyday. Over at\u00a0<em>The Guardian<\/em>, the verdict was clear\u2014Cola aren\u2019t just carrying a legacy, they\u2019re sharpening it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Cost of Living Adjustment\u2019&nbsp;(or&nbsp;<em>C.O.L.A.<\/em>, as the band cheekily abbreviates it) feels almost self-titled in spirit. It\u2019s a record obsessed with the push and pull of modern life: nostalgia and anxiety, ideology and instinct, the slow grind versus the thrill of the unknown. It\u2019s intricate, a little strange, often gorgeous\u2014and easily the band\u2019s most refined work to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cola have long been associated with \u201ctasteful minimalism,\u201d but here they quietly flip the script.&nbsp;<em>C.O.L.A.<\/em>&nbsp;is their most maximalist album yet, even if it doesn\u2019t shout about it. <em>Hedgesitting<\/em>, for example, layers live drums with sampled loops, creating a lush, woozy momentum that sneaks up on you. The song feels like a deconstructed, late-night cousin of&nbsp;<strong>Disintegration<\/strong>, with a soft spot for the wistful indie pop lineage of&nbsp;<strong>Sarah Records<\/strong>. Darcy\u2019s opening line\u2014<em>\u201cWhen you were young, you came to make it\u201d<\/em>\u2014lands like a half-remembered promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>True to form, the album was built collaboratively. Ideas are sketched in isolation, then reassembled together in the studio. <em>Hedgesitting<\/em> began life as a set of chords from Darcy before being reshaped collectively, with bassist Ben Stidworthy even remixing elements right before recording. That fluid exchange\u2014passing songs around and rebuilding them\u2014is baked into Cola\u2019s DNA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Watch:<\/strong>&nbsp;Cola \u2013 <em>Hedgesitting<\/em> (Official Video)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1EPGXGiAztw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>One of the biggest shifts on\u00a0\u2018Cost of Living Adjustment\u2019 is how melody leads the charge. Darcy steps away from the sprechgesang delivery of earlier releases, letting vocal lines sit shoulder-to-shoulder with the album\u2019s other melodic elements. The lyrics remain sharp and poetic, just more entwined with the music. As Darcy jokes, it\u2019s not exactly a\u00a0<strong>Cocteau Twins<\/strong>\u00a0pivot\u2014but the balance feels intentional and fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The result is an album that\u2019s in constant conversation with itself. Every sound has space, even when things stretch and shimmer. Tracks like <em>Skywriter\u2019s Sigh<\/em> crackle and glow, flirting with the sublime. It\u2019s abstract without being cold, experimental without losing its emotional pull. Think less chaos, more careful chiseling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply put,&nbsp;\u2018Cost of Living Adjustment\u2019&nbsp;is Cola at their most confident\u2014thoughtful, restless, and quietly stunning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Pre-order:<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/found.ee\/colaband\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Cost of Living Adjustment<\/a>\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7175.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7175.jpeg?resize=500%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7175.jpeg?w=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7175.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7175.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2018Cost of Living Adjustment\u2019 track list<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Forced Position<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hedgesitting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fainting Spells<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Haveluck Country<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Satre-torial<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Polished Knives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Much of a Muchness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Third Double<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conflagration Mindset<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Favoured Over The Ride<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Skywriter\u2019s Sigh<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Montreal trio&nbsp;Cola&nbsp;are back with details of their third album,&nbsp;\u2018Cost of Living Adjustment,\u2019 landing May 8th via&nbsp;Fire Talk Records. Alongside the announcement comes the album\u2019s lead <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44452\" title=\"Cola announce new album\u00a0\u2018Cost of Living Adjustment\u2019\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[22,23,28,30,1907],"tags":[10578,13159,13160,13057],"class_list":["post-44452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","tag-cola","tag-cost-of-living-adjustment","tag-hedgesitting","tag-postpunk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7176.jpeg?fit=1100%2C754&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-byY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45314,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45314","url_meta":{"origin":44452,"position":0},"title":"Cola drop \u2018Skywriter\u2019s Sigh\u2019 + World Tour dates announced","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Toronto post-punk trio Cola are back with their latest single and video, Skywriter's Sigh \u2014 the closing track off their forthcoming third album, 'Cost of Living Adjustment', dropping May 8 on Fire Talk Records. And honestly? It slaps in the most understated, poetic way possible. The band \u2014 Tim Darcy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cola press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0586.jpeg?fit=948%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0586.jpeg?fit=948%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0586.jpeg?fit=948%2C632&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0586.jpeg?fit=948%2C632&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39196,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=39196","url_meta":{"origin":44452,"position":1},"title":"Cola share new track \u2018Keys Down If You Stay\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year, Cola, the new project from former Ought members Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy and US Girls\/The Weather Station drummer Evan Cartwright, released their debut LP \u2018Deep In View\u2019 via Fire Talk Records. Earning praise from outlets like Pitchfork, NPR, FADER, Stereogum, Uproxx, Paste, BrooklynVegan, Consequence, Clash, NME and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cola press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/4FC2BA9B-8ECE-46D6-8A5C-81231E2688FC.jpeg?fit=1124%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/4FC2BA9B-8ECE-46D6-8A5C-81231E2688FC.jpeg?fit=1124%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/4FC2BA9B-8ECE-46D6-8A5C-81231E2688FC.jpeg?fit=1124%2C700&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/4FC2BA9B-8ECE-46D6-8A5C-81231E2688FC.jpeg?fit=1124%2C700&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/4FC2BA9B-8ECE-46D6-8A5C-81231E2688FC.jpeg?fit=1124%2C700&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40387,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=40387","url_meta":{"origin":44452,"position":2},"title":"Cola annouce new album \u2018The Gloss\u2019 +  share \u2018Pallor Tricks\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"With roots in Montreal, the band\u00a0Cola\u00a0was formed by ex-Ought members\u00a0Tim Darcy\u00a0and\u00a0Ben Stidworthy. Evan Cartwright, an in-demand session musician and collaborator in Toronto\u2019s vibrant jazz\/experimental scene with acts such as U.S. Girls and The Weather Station, joined after their first practice in 2019.\u00a0 In 2022, Cola released their debut LP\u00a0\u2018Deep In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cola press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/31C5FFCC-6F75-4D68-A0C6-F06AF88BE9D4.jpeg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/31C5FFCC-6F75-4D68-A0C6-F06AF88BE9D4.jpeg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/31C5FFCC-6F75-4D68-A0C6-F06AF88BE9D4.jpeg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/31C5FFCC-6F75-4D68-A0C6-F06AF88BE9D4.jpeg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37540,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=37540","url_meta":{"origin":44452,"position":3},"title":"Ought announce break up + Cola share debut single","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"November 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"After nearly 9 years as a band\u00a0and following three critically-acclaimed\u00a0full lengths, the Montreal post-punk group\u00a0Ought\u00a0have announced their break up via the band's\u00a0Instagram. You can read their full statement here:\u00a0\"We are no longer active as a band. When we started Ought in 2012 we had no greater aspirations than to play\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cola press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7C52AA2E-626B-4C13-9FF7-85DE3CDE0EE8-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7C52AA2E-626B-4C13-9FF7-85DE3CDE0EE8-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7C52AA2E-626B-4C13-9FF7-85DE3CDE0EE8-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7C52AA2E-626B-4C13-9FF7-85DE3CDE0EE8-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7C52AA2E-626B-4C13-9FF7-85DE3CDE0EE8-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40075,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=40075","url_meta":{"origin":44452,"position":4},"title":"Cola return with new single \u2018Bitter Melon\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2022,\u00a0Cola\u00a0(a project from former\u00a0Ought\u00a0members\u00a0Tim Darcy\u00a0and\u00a0Ben Stidworthy\u00a0and\u00a0US Girls\/The Weather Station\u00a0drummer\u00a0Evan Cartwright), released their debut LP\u00a0\u2018Deep In View\u2019\u00a0via\u00a0Fire Talk Records. Rolling Stone named the band an\u00a0Artist You Need To Know\u00a0and called their debut \"one of the year\u2019s most thrilling rock statements,\" the album was one of the year's most acclaimed debuts.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cola press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/6D1F7AD3-1C6C-48C5-A87F-D48F3DB959E8.jpeg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/6D1F7AD3-1C6C-48C5-A87F-D48F3DB959E8.jpeg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/6D1F7AD3-1C6C-48C5-A87F-D48F3DB959E8.jpeg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/6D1F7AD3-1C6C-48C5-A87F-D48F3DB959E8.jpeg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/6D1F7AD3-1C6C-48C5-A87F-D48F3DB959E8.jpeg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40556,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=40556","url_meta":{"origin":44452,"position":5},"title":"Cola share new single \u2018Albatross\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"May 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month\u00a0Cola, the band formed by ex-Ought members\u00a0Tim Darcy\u00a0and\u00a0Ben Stidworthy, and drummer\u00a0Evan Cartwright, announced their sophomore LP\u00a0\u2018The Gloss\u2019\u00a0(due out\u00a0June 14th\u00a0on\u00a0Fire Talk\u00a0and\u00a0Next Door Records\u00a0in Canada). The album is the follow up to their 2022\u00a0\u2018Deep In View\u2019\u00a0on\u00a0Fire Talk Records, an album that saw praise from outlets like Pitchfork, NPR, FADER,\u00a0Stereogum, Uproxx, Paste,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cola press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/8D98536E-EF55-4FDD-9F59-28E96B1CD301.jpeg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/8D98536E-EF55-4FDD-9F59-28E96B1CD301.jpeg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/8D98536E-EF55-4FDD-9F59-28E96B1CD301.jpeg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/8D98536E-EF55-4FDD-9F59-28E96B1CD301.jpeg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/8D98536E-EF55-4FDD-9F59-28E96B1CD301.jpeg?fit=1200%2C796&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44452"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44458,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44452\/revisions\/44458"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}