It was over the summer. I was sitting downstairs in my best friend’s bedroom shooting the shit. He had some low music playing off his laptop. A song that I would later know as “St. Johns” came on. I literally stopped mid-sentence, pointed to the computer and asked “Who is this? And why haven’t I been listening to them?” My friend grinned.
This was my introduction to the awesomely named Cold War Kids.
Their LP, Robbers & Cowards is a collection of songs from the various EP’s they have put out and rerecorded for this awesome studio album. How do I describe the their style? Well, they’re an indie bluesy soul rock band that has hints of folk and gospel combined with a junkyard band. That’s right, a junkyard band. There are times during this CD where the various shakers, rattles and other divergent sounds are as if they picked up something in the street, heard it had an awesome sound and worked it into the song. All this is combined with some awesome off beat drumming and backed by a lively piano that equals a force of a band having discovered the magic of music, having fun and loving every minute of it. I love the sound on the CD, I heard it was sight to behold live (note they are one of the many bands I am actively awaiting shows for.)
The Cold War Kids also have some amazingly catchy and meaningful lyrics. Lead vocalist Nathan Willett doesn’t sing about young love and heartbreak like most the bands you know. In fact most of the songs are very storyteller based. Songs Such as “We Need a Vacation” speak of alcoholic fathers who miss graduations and slowly tear their families apart. They talk about divorce and the shame anger and viciousness that come where once sweet laughter filled a household in “Hair Down.” The aforementioned “St. John” tells the tale of a guy on death row for accidentally killing one of a group of kids who were attempting to rape his sister. Most powerful of all in “Hospital Beds” they show the casualties of war, about making friends with people you would never choose to; the injured who merely lay next to you. However these meaty tales aren’t drowned into our ears. These songs are delivered with a verve that is addictive. You’ll find yourself rocking to the tunes while screaming their catchy lyrics.
The Cold War Kids deliver thoughtful, storied poetry for your ears with zestful instrumentation. They throw enough change ups for you to always keep it interesting, and know when to repeat their mantras like “Vietnam, fishing trips, Italian Opera” on “Hospital Beds” the zenith of the album.
The album has been out for a while now, but it deserves to be checked out. It’s very rare to find a sound that is refreshing and simply this good. They went back into the studios in December. I can’t wait to hear the next album.
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