I love the Cold War Kids. . . I honestly hope this record tanks for them so they get back to writing real songs instead of trying to emulate what's currently popular. . .
Mine Is Yours
Artist: Cold War Kids
Label: DGC/Interscope
Time: 11 tracks/44 minutes
When they showed up in 2006 with Robbers and Cowards, I, like a lot of others, latched onto the sparse, angular guitars and yelping vocals of “Hang Me Up to Dry,” the album’s lead single. That entire record was terrific as the band offered a mostly unique sound that mined several different genres. One thing I loved about them was that these guys weren’t copycats. When they came on the radio, there was no mistaking who it was.
And that’s the reason that their latest release, Mine Is Yours, is so disappointing. It seems that the Cold War Kids are following the same path that Kings of Leon did in the pursuit of success: release a couple of great albums, then tone down the qualities that made you unique so you blend in easier with Top 40 radio pabulum. This is evident right off the bat with the record’s lead song and title track. It almost sounds like they’re going for a U2 sound, and while I like U2, I prefer the Cold War Kids to stick their own sound. The second track and lead single, “Louder Than Ever,” gets off to a promising start with its drum and bass driven verses, but the chorus flies off the rails, dragging the whole song into pop cheese territory. At times, particularly on the revoltingly catchy “Finally Begin,” I felt like I was listening to Train’s new record, and all I can say to that is, “Yuck!”
There are a few tracks here that show the band hasn’t completely lost its touch. The standouts include “Royal Blue,” “Out of the Wilderness,” and “Sensitive Kid.” Unfortunately, the small handful of decent songs included here aren’t enough to save the rest of the album. I honestly hope this record tanks for them so they get back to writing real songs instead of trying to emulate what’s currently popular. What a major disappointment.
Eric Landfried 4/6/11
