Loyalty to Loyalty

Cold War Kids

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2008)
• Original Release Date: September 23, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Downtown
• ASIN: B001CVCBFI
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,656 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Cold War Kids, Loyalty to Loyalty

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty 6/10, September 23, 2008

By	Rudolph Klapper "www.klap4music.com" (Los Angeles / Orlando) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Indie rock derived from the back roads of some of the best Americana music tradition is not a particularly new idea nowadays, as bands struggle to try to outdo each other with a sound that hasn't hit it big yet. The National, Band of Horses, Midlake, dozens of bands are lining up for a swing at that big `ole `70s bluesy sound. Luckily for Fullerton, CA band Cold War Kids, they've already made a name for themselves with 2006's critically acclaimed Robbers & Cowards, a vibrant piece of indie rock that incorporated the best of old-school blues and backwoods country rock. The Kids wade in even deeper on Loyalty to Loyalty, and while much of this sophomore effort captures the urgency of their debut, at times the Kids drag rather than kick things up.

Singer Nathan Willett is a big reason for the band's appeal, a divisive vocalist with a raw, less trained Jeff Buckley-ish set of pipes and a penchant for preaching. But just as he uplifts some of Loyalty's best songs with a raspy passion on the down `n dirty "Mexican Dogs" or with smart lyrics on the thumping drums and sexy rhythm of "I've Seen Enough," his voice can turn from interesting and fresh to grating and intolerable with just a few misplaced falsettos. Single "Something Is Not Right With Me," although musically spot-on, is derailed by Willett's ranting shouts, while the band's decision to lift Willett's vocals way above everything else on the much-too-slow "Avalanche B" and the otherwise catchy "I've Seen Enough" make one wish Willett took more lessons.

The rest of the band is as on top of their style as ever before, cranking out track after track of irrepressibly bluesy, bar band-esque rockers that roar along on menacing guitar ("Mexican Dogs") or lilting, jazzy piano melodies ("Every Valley Is Not A Lake"). And while closing songs like "Relief" collapse under the weight of their own pretensions and Willett's howling, a tasteful mood piece like "Golden Gate Jumpers," with one of the record's best lyrics and melodies, remind one why Cold War Kids became famous in the first place.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars hmm..., October 2, 2008

By	Chat Noir (California) - See all my reviews

I bought this album in hopes that it would be as good as the first one (as I'm sure most people did) but it definitely fell short in my opinion. There's no doubt that they stayed true to themselves but the songs just didn't cut it and the vocals... a little hard to listen to. Nathan Willett definitely has a unique voice that takes a little getting used to but it just seemed all over the place this time around. I'm all for artists changing it up and trying new things but this album really wasn't anything new for them... It was the same sound as Robbers & Cowards just not as good. I was hoping that after a couple of listens it would grow on me but that didn't exactly happen...

If you are a fan go for it! Maybe you'll hear something that I didn't.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No rhythm, yet their voice remains distinct, March 25, 2009

By	Andrew Nigro "Andrew C N" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In my less than professional opinion, this album has no groove. It's slow where the listener wants to be fast, it's fast where the listener is accustomed to slow. "I've seen Enough" is a good song because it finally gives the rhythm and beat the listener is yearning for. No doubt Nathan Willett has patented a singing style like none other, but he is stretching the tolerance of improv whinyness. Perhaps the band was trying hard to be creative, or perhaps this musical voice is their true voice, which then demands their audience's patience and acceptance.