[rating=6.00]
Like it or not, Cold War Kids make pop rock music these days. Two years ago, Mine Is Yours met harsh reviews from critics and was generally reviled by fans of the band’s earlier work, many of whom accused them of selling out. The album left many of the band’s trademarks and quirks behind for a slicker, more mainstream sound. The result was a collection of indistinct and over-polished songs that lacked the Cold War Kids’ idiosyncratic charm. Even frontman Nathan Willett later admitted the album was an overproduced misstep. For their follow-up, Cold War Kids had every reason to return to the old sound that made them one of the most buzz-worthy unsigned bands in the mid-2000s. But they didn’t.
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, CWK’s fourth release, finds the band continuing to look forward rather than imitating their older music. Once again, the album is too slick, with only hints of the grungy garage minimalism of their grand debut Robbers & Cowards. The good news is that they pull off the pop music much better this time. Yes, the drums are played in time, Willet’s vocals are in key, and the songs are more streamlined and predictable, but at least this time they have hooks. At least this time around, the pop songs are interesting.
Whereas past Cold War Kids songs relied heavily on syncopation and dynamics, here Matt Maust provides most of the hooks with his upbeat bass grooves. Several songs find the band dipping their toes into 80’s revival music, most notably with the pulsing synthesizers of “Lost That Easy” and “Loner Phase.” The infectious rhythms of the latter track are enough to force the band’s fans onto the dance floor, if only to ask “why is there a dance floor when we’re at a Cold War Kids concert?”
Another change for Cold War Kids is that while the music has less aural intimacy, the lyrics are conversely more personal. While Willett has always been a gifted storyteller, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts finds him really opening up, with loneliness and isolation serving as the thematic spine of the album. On the soul crooner “Tuxedos,” Willet laments the mistakes he’s made in letting a relationship fall apart. “I think about eyes that watch you,” he says while wearing his tuxedo “disguise” at a wedding.
Many of the songs are weighed down with too many instrumental layers and vocals that overwhelm and drown out the beat. It’s a far cry from the simplicity that made songs like “St. John” great. Unlike on Mine Is Yours, though, it sounds like Cold War Kids are having fun again. “Jailbirds” has such a euphoric ambiance that it’s only a matter of time before it’s used in a commercial to sell a car.
Cold War Kids are a band that continues to evolve. Like any evolution, some adaptations are useful while others fail. Dear Miss Lonelyhearts closes with the piano ballad “Bitter Poem,” where Willet finds one positive in his despair: “I can’t wait to see what you become.” For better or worse, it’s a sentiment shared by the band’s fans.
