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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
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.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
hmm..., October 2, 2008
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.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Departing from the first album, April 16, 2009
Cold War Kids released an excellent debut album in 2006 "Robbers & Cowards", which was greeted with great critical acclaim. After relentless touring, the band finally came around with this, their second album.
"Loyalty to Loyalty" (13 tracks; 46 min.) is somewhat of a departure of the sound of the first album, with a much more bluesier sound. The album crashes in with a heavy "Against Privacy", setting the tome for the album. The songs are generally less-rocking than on the first album, but for some reason it doesn't bother me at all, as the album has a great overall groove to it. "Everyone Is Not Right With Me" reminds me of early White Stripes. "Golden Gate Jumpers" is as eerie as the title of the track suggests. "Every Man I Fall For" is as bluesy as the album gets, and it sounds great. "Relief" is about as mainstream rocking as anything on the album.
In all, I really like the album, although I can easily see why fans from the first album might be disappointed with this. I'm not. The band is evolving, you know? I saw the band when they toured in 2007 with the first album, and the show was nice. But I saw the band again just recently (opening for Death Cab), and they put on a truly mesmerizing 45 min. set, bringing a lot of the songs from this album, while throwing in a few nuggets from the first album. Truth be told, the songs from this album in concert rocked harder than anything you'll hear on the album Great, great show.
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