Cold War Kids - Loyalty To Loyalty [Album]

Second Release for the Californian Quantet

Cold War Kids – Loyalty To Loyalty

Released: 22nd September 2008

So, to the return of the Californian Soul four piece, Cold War Kids. If you were a fan of their debut Robbers And Cowards, then you are automatically a fan of Loyalty To Loyalty. The album is similar in many ways, yet different in others. In our two-year wait for this record, nothing much has changed. Lead singer Nathon Willet continues his vocal domination on each track, providing cracked-throat blues and a soulful atmosphere. Plus the big beat, slow piano, jittery music works just as well as it did the first time. It’s hard to compare CWK to any other band around at the minute, and I like that.

The Opening track ‘Against Privacy’ sounds as if The Zutons have taken over the record, with a guitar sound from SpongeBob Squarepants. ‘Something Is Not Right With Me’ is a dry, 2min22sec, 2008 equivalent to ‘Hang Me Up To Dry’. It undoubtedly gets into your head and makes you sing along (even if you don’t want it too!). ‘I’ve seen enough’ is a more up-beat track that controversially feels as if it could be used in the credits to a bond film. ‘Relief’ has a more ’08 feel, with a very electro bass line and tech drum sound reminiscent of Kid Koala (Musically, not vocally). The rest of the album just seems to drag.

My advice for new listeners would be to give it a lot of time, Cold War Kids are sometimes hard to palette. Listening to the whole album in one sitting is like tackling a marathon, it is not advised.

Cold War Kids, Hang yourselves up to dry!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/coldwarkids

Tracks to listen to:

Track 4 – Something Is Not Right With Me
Track 8 – I’ve Seen Enough
Track 12 – Relief

For Fans Of (this is a hard one!):

The Zutons
Kings Of Leon
Elbow

Track Listings:

1 Against Privacy
2 Mexican Dogs
3 Every Valley Is Not A Lake
4 Something Is Not Right With Me
5 Welcome To The Occupation
6 Golden Gate Jumpers
7 Avalanche In B
8 I’ve Seen Enough
9 Every Man I Fall For
10 Dreams Old Men Dream
11 On The Night That My Love Broke Through
12 Relief
13 Cryptomnesia