a look at Loyalty To Loyalty...

this past week (ok. last week, September 23rd.) Cold War Kids put out their second album, Loyalty To Loyalty, to some pretty decent reviews.

this is my stab at reviewing their album.
keep in mind, i am biased :D

track 1: "Against Privacy"
this song to me sums up the Kids and what they are all about. from what i gather of them, they just seem to go their own ways, not entirely caring (to a certain extent) about...trying to be mainstream.

track 2: "Mexican Dogs"
this one somewhat reckons back to their first album (Robbers & Cowards). it has that jangly feeling to it in the guitar parts. it does also feature a great lick mid-way with both drums and guitar.

track 3: "Every Valley Is Not A Lake"
when first read the tracklisting for the album, i was glad that they put this song on here. a little sad though that they have re-recorded it. their first recording of it is my favourite version (On the "Hang Me Up To Dry" single), but this song is still a great one nonetheless. again, love the piano and guitars. lead singer Nathan Willett has this ability to create such vivid stories in his lyrics, and this one is pretty clear.


track 4: "Something Is Not Right With Me"
at first, i didn't like this song. to be completely honest.
to my ears it, Willett's voice in the first verses, screaming out the lyrics, and the frenzied piano, something just didn't really sit well with me...
but after giving it another few listens, i've grown to like this song. listening closely to the lyrics, the music goes hand-in-hand with what is trying to be said: something is not right with me.

track 5: "Welcome To The Occupation"
hands down, this song has the best drumming on this album.
favourite song on the record. well, in the top 3.

track 6: "Golden Gate Jumpers"
this song is one of their most blues-y, but at the same time the most saddest songs they have written/sang about thus far. you can get from the title what the song is about, but it tells of a man trying to save a woman from jumping ("she's scared to jump, but terrified to stay")

track 7: "Avalanche In B"
not entirely sure what this song is supposed to be about, but it does remind of a Tom Waits song - from the piano to Willett's singing style. i like.

track 8: "I've Seen Enough"
like "Hang Me Up To Dry" was the song for Robbers & Cowards, this one will probably be their 'anthem song' from this album. this one shows off everyone's musicianship the best. again, the lyrics are great. live, it's probably that much better.

track 9: "Every Man I Fall For"
told from a woman's perspective, of course, this song is yet another one of those sad songs.
interesting, that Willett is male (duh.), and singing from a female's perspective. it just works, somehow. without thinking that Willett is gay (WHICH, he ISN'T. just to point out). that was a thought that never crossed my mind. a sure sign of great songwriting.

track 10: "Dreams Old Men Dream"
if "I've Seen Enough" is the anthem song, like "HMUTD" was for R&C; then this one is Loyalty To Loyalty's own "Hospital Beds", but a bit more dynamic. love the beat, lyrics, and everything about this song.

track 11: "On The Night My Love Broke Through"
the Kids have definitely grown musically, and this is sure evidence. one of their darkest songs on the whole album.

track 12: "Relief"
i have to say, this song just screams Radiohead. from the beat to the singing, it sounds very much like a Radiohead song. best line: "I love the shape your faces make"'

track 13: "Cryptomnesia"
another dark song, with the best imagery. slow and sad. heightens into something beautiful in the end.
after some research, cryptomnesia is hidden memory. term describes the experiences that people believe to be original but which are actually based on memories of events they've forgotten. [source.]

all in all, this is surely a step-up from Robbers & Cowards.
a good step in the right direction.

and any other 'step' analogies that you can think of.

Loyalty To Loyalty is a must-listen.