Customer Reviews

Robbers & Cowards

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A confession: this review may be a bit impulsive or premature. I had never heard of the Cold War Kids until days ago. I caught the sample of "Hang Me Up to Dry" and instantly recognized it from somewhere. I have no idea where I know the song from, but I absolutely LOVE it. After sampling the rest of the CD I decided it was worth taking a chance. Having had the CD a few days now, the songs are just so darn listenable and catchy they are addictive. I probably will have to pry the CD out of my player soon just to avoid OD'ing on it. The group has a real gift for catchy melodies as evident in the aforementioned tune as well as in "We Used to Vacation" and "St. John." Really the CD is full of immediately catchy hooks and melodies that suck you in and don't let go ("Passing the Hat", etc.). Even if I overdose on them short term, I don't think I could ever hear these tunes without being captivated. They are just that good - instant classics for me. If you like your rock stripped down and raw with an edge, tinged with soul and containing a heaping helping of blues (think White Stripes), "Robbers and Cowards" will hit the spot.

I am shocked (and a little annoyed) by the presumptuous nature of the Amazon review (by Jedd Beaudoin). Perhaps the reviewer actually knows the band personally and can speak to such things, but probably not (I can be presumptuous as well!). The one kernel of truth in his review is that the Cold War Kids do "have quirky-but-catchy [...] songwriting." He nailed it there, but he then presumes to climb into their heads to speak about their motivations and aspirations. He accuses them of being "fascinated with the first Stokes album" and of "trying too hard." He charges them with trying to deliver a "fresh take on life in suburbia" but, failing here, they only deliver "a minor variation of angsty clichés."

Maybe the reviewer is so into the music scene he knows what would motivate himself to produce a similar record. Maybe such an effort on his own behalf would truly be derivative of the Strokes, etc. Maybe his view is jaded by his own experience. Why isn't it possible that these guys are just being true to themselves and the(ir) music? Why can't this music be genuine and heart-felt? Maybe it is others who are preoccupied with image and marketing, not the Cold War Kids themselves. That's what I choose to believe, anyway. I spent some time on their website reading their "journal". I was impressed with what I felt was sincere, genuine, and very humorous.

As far as I'm concerned these guys created a fantastic album that is a representation of who and what they are rather than what they are "trying" to be. I'm blessed to have experienced it. I encourage you to experience it for yourself. Regarding the Amazon reviewer, I suggest he is projecting his own pretentiousness onto the "Kids."

I've never written a review on Amazon, but I feel compelled in this case. People are comparing Cold War Kids to Maroon 5? The Strokes? Do these people listen to music they're not told to? Sure, Maroon 5 adds a touch of soul to pop and The Strokes are a great band that relies on catchy '80's-style hooks, but CWK is something else entirely. They're rock first, with a Mississippi Delta influence.

The lyrics are unique in that they tell of the human condition, although not necessarily first hand. Wonderful music combined with touching lyrics equals a great band.

They are indeed one of the best live bands around, as I discovered them opening for Editors at The Fillmore, but the sound translates perfectly to home.

Maybe you don't dig the sound, but comparing them to some other random band doesn't make any sense. They have a style that might not be completely original, as Delta Spirit and a few other bands are of the same vein, but CWK does it the best, and with the most feeling.

Hype is a funny thing...it makes people dislike bands before they even hear them. How anyone could not like something they never heard is a strange thought, but whats even stranger, is that even after people hear it, they still may not like it, even if they should....whatever circumstance you are coming from, you should like the Cold War Kids...

They are fun, brash, honest and creative. They are sincere and seem like a bunch of guys who are really having a good time. That is what rock and roll is supposed to be about. They play scathingly good live shows, bouncing around on stage and singing with vocal cords stretched to the limit. And they write the damn catchiest songs. The songs are inventive without having to be orchestral or using a catologue of quirky instruments. Instead it is stripped down. Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Voice and some goddamn Soul. These Kids are bringing the soul back into the music. The singer channels Ornette Coleman and Nina Simones bastard child, and the band shambles along with a bluesy take on the Velvet Underground via Rolling Stones style rock and roll. A little slacker, a little swagger and a lot of Soul. A+++ in my book. and like I said, a GREAT live band...

The final straw in deciding to write this review of the Cold War Kids latest album was the perfunctory and diminuitive review offered by the staff writer for amazon.com

It is interesting to note that the customers' reviews (ie. "average listener who doesn't get paid to write") are made up entirely of 5 star ratings.

This pattern should be at least somewhat instructive as to the quality of the "Robbers and Cowards" LP.

The Cold War Kid have completed the rare major debut "hat trick" that includes the following three qualities:

1. Powerful lyrics that tell amazing stories. (Think Bruce Springsteen, or to a lesser extent, Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows - those who craft songs that are clearly personal in some of their details but become universal in the emotions they express.)

2. Some of the catchiest choruses in high-brow indie rock since Death Cab for Cutie. These songs hook you from the first listen and actually get better the more you play them.

3. The skills to perform great live shows. Listen to their performance in SOHO for Apple (available on iTunes). These guys are musicians of the highest order and the lead vocals are strikingly powerful from top to bottom. I'm going to do a bit of driving to see them for myself when they come near my hometown.

This cd is my favorite of the year (pulling even with my favorite from last year, TV on the Radio's "Return to Cookie Mountain.)

I hope you enjoy it as well.

- S.

Not sure when the last time I was this into an indie rock album, but it was probably when the Arcade Fire released Funeral. They don't sound like the Arcard Fire, but it's just honestly good music in it's essence. The rawness is accurate, but it's not all experimentally crammed with instruments. There are a few different ones, but not excessive like Mystery Jets or anything. I was put off by another review and was thinking people would be playing with cooking utensils or something, but I assure you that's not the case. A+ and sincere.

Music attracts me in different ways. For instance I listen to Broken Social Scene when i'm feeling like I want to drift away to somewhere else. There are certain things that catch my ear that makes me like a band. One is the lyrics of course, which I haven't listened to this album enough to rate. But, another is catchyness, and these guys have it. Every song is so different from music that's out there right now. And it's so raw sounding.. And these know-it-all critics who have their own agenda and can't see what the music is for what it is really disturb me.. It's like there's one thing that turns you off about Cold War Kids, and you feel the need to dwell on it and rip them apart for it. The point is they have talent and the music is great to listen to. Isn't that the point? Buy this album, give it a chance, and you won't regret it.

I was introduced to this album by my cousin, whose brother and the band members are friends.

Initially to me, they sounded like Franz Ferdinand, but with a more interesting sound to their music. At the same time, there were elements of Maroon 5's soul rock, but Cold War Kids created their own alternative (indie) rock music, completely unique and completely different from all the groups out there now. Most impressive.

The lyrics in most of their songs sound like a twisted reflection of life, sometimes funny, sometimes sad. I found their music very refreshing as compared to all the groups out there now. Out of all the tracks, I enjoyed Robber, Red Wine, Success, We Use To Vacation and Hang Me Up To Dry.

This album really grew on me to the point that I'm asking myself to look-out for the dates they're dropping by for a concert!

This is just an album that I put off buying for a long time, but eventually got around to it. I was glad to find out that Robbers & Cowards is an exceptional album by this band. I don't think I have ever read a more misleading Amazon.com review of an album. There are a dozen bands that sound exactly like each other. The key is creating a refreshing sound... not reinventing a sound.

Cold War Kids play simple, stripped down, rock & roll. They rely on their vocals and lyrics just as much as the music (something The Strokes never do). Furthermore, this is the kind of stuff that the White Stripes wish they could accomplish. "Elefant" (supposedly their most acclaimed album) basically immitated early Who albums. If you can get past the band name and just listen to the music, I think you'll find this album very enjoyable.

FYI: "Passing the Hat" sounds more like a Dispatch song being sung by Jeff Buckley. I would think both aspects of that statement is a compliment to the band and a testament to the lead vocalist.

Cold War Kids-Robbers & Cowards *****

Robbers & Cowards just might be one of the very best albums this reviewer has ever heard. Vocal lines that could rival anything in the history of music. Melodies that melt like butter. Lyrics that are among some of the most personal, nicely crafted, and all around brilliant. Cold War Kids nailed it with Robbers & Cowards.

Opening with 'We Used To Vacation' and then segueing directly into the albums single hit, the beyond amazing 'Hand Me Out To Dry.' First off, the opener kills and the latter is among the very top songs I have ever heard. It blows my mind every time I hear it. Genius lyrics defined. Oh, the vocals are nothing to gawk at either. 'Saint John' is in a class of it's own. Brilliant in all the overzealous meanings of the word. A hymme but more sinful. 'Hospital Beds' is possibly the best songs I have heard in the last ten years. Those are just a few of the highlights. The whole album is incendiary so it would seem trite to indulge in the greatness of each track.

The bottom line here folks is that Robbers & Cowards is one of the more originally great albums to emerge from rock n' roll in the last ten years. Scratch that...make that ever.

I saw the video for "Hang me Out to Dry" and loved the vid and the song. I got the album and found that I only like one other song on it, "Hospital Beds" I put the two songs on a misc playlist and never listened much to the whole album. I thought the lead's voice was too annoying and the random jaunts of banging on the piano was too chaotic. However, I played the whole album through while chillin at my house and realized this entire freakin' album is absolutely amazing. His voice really grows on you and you'll be singing along until your throat hurts. They Definitely rock out, and the lyrics are so well thought out and poetic. I can't wait for new album. I definitely don't agree that there are dozens of bands that sound like this; there are dozens of bands that try to do what the Cold War Kids do, but fail miserably.