Review: Cold War Kids

Having built their reputation on inscrutable lyrics and dissonant melodies, California indie rockers Cold War Kids have crafted a much more straightforward rock album in their third outing, hiring producer Jacquire King (whose credentials include Modest Mouse and Kings of Leon) in the process. But with their newly acquired studio sheen, much of the charms that made ‘Hang Me Up To Dry’ and ‘Hospital Beds’ indie mainstays in the mid-decade are lost in Mine Is Yours. Gone are lead singer Nathan Willet’s strained vocals – smoothed over by King’s production – removing one of the most alluring aspects of the band’s earlier work. Gone too are the unconventional and often religious lyrical themes, replaced with rather more pedestrian musings. ‘Skip The Charades’ highlights this lyrical blandness, with Willet crooning the likes of ‘I’m the one that’s acting like I’m so strong, you’re the one that’s acting like nothing’s wrong’. Album single ‘Louder Than Ever’ might be a standout were it not for the utter banality of the lyrics; at the close, Willet seems to run out of his trite lines and resorts to mindlessly repeating the title. But, most significantly of all, Cold War Kids’ studio treatment has removed much of the raw sound, borne of their self-recording process, which made them intriguing in the first place. After the breakout Robbers & Cowards in 2005, the band had already mis-stepped slightly with the inconsistent sophomore effort Loyalty to Loyalty. The catchy Behave Yourself EP released last year generated some excitement for a new album and possible return to form, which makes the final product all the more disappointing. Abandoning their rough blues- and jazz- influenced riffs was surely a move designed for a wider audience, and if you enjoyed Kings of Leon’s latest, this may be up your alley. But if you were a fan of Cold War Kids’ distinctive sound, don’t expect to find it here.