Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards

Still sizzling from three well-received EPs and canonization via the blogosphere, Cold War Kids deliver Robbers & Cowards, the band’s debut full-length, on the Warner Music Group subsidiary Downtown Records (alongside Art Brut, Eagles of Death Metal, and Gnarls Barkley). The majority of the record’s tracks are culled from the aforementioned EPs, presented here in re-recorded quality, assist Cold War Kids’ unstated manifesto for itself as the ones to lead indie rock into a neoteric age. A common thread found in Cold War Kids coverage has been the irreverent evaluation of Nathan Willett’s vocalizing to that of the late, great Jeff Buckley. Lacking the latter’s range, Willett’s warbling and plaintive yowling is relatively grounded, often sounding on the verge of soulful combustion. A vocalist in his own class, Willett stealthily captures the spotlight on Robbers & Cowards, occasionally leaving the rest of the band surrendered to provisional background noise. Stripped down and inventive, Robbers may be one of the most important debuts to drop this year. The quartet doesn’t abscond from a traditional rock set-up, making the album all the more impressive. The dozen tracks comprising the album circumvent any notions that the band is one-dimensional, and make a sturdy argument for the band’s pioneering approach—basslines throb, pianos clink and clank almost at random sometimes, the percussion finds a playground to test out its limitations and curiosities. Lyrically, Cold War Kids’ songs are about life, fictional or not, like brief, vaguely detailed glimpses into short stories in the making. Blog favorite “Hospital Beds” kicks off with mournful piano chords as Willett’s character considers his roommate in the infirmary, as they’re “sharing hospital joy and misery” in lieu of recovery. “Saint John” could be a revitalized and modernized folk song, as the track centers on a death row inmate “waitin’ for a pardon.” The pre-pubescent protagonist of “God, Make Up Your Mind” reads Garcia-Marquez and listens to Nina Simone on a cross-country family trip. Kafka appears on “Red Wine, Success.” The list goes on. What makes it invigorating and vital is the presence of imagery and intimate detail, the slight character development over a track’s brevity, the empathy invoked in the listeners. Robbers & Cowards is one of those records that will be revered or shat upon, but begs not to be ignored. May its greatness not be lost on the general public reach more deeply into hearts than heads. [www.coldwarkids.com]