Jan. 24, the day before the release of their third album, the Cold War Kids tweeted the following: "we don't believe in love@first sight and we don't believe you can say much about this album till you live with it. Reviews are such a bore." Since its release, however, CWK's latest LP, Mine Is Yours, has established itself as a solid slice of alt-rock that will definitely impress critics and fans alike.
CWK began to garner a significant fan base when iTunes offered "Hang Me Up to Dry," their breakout hit, as the free single of the week in 2007. Since then, I generally always have allowed the grungy alternative rock single to play through whenever my iPod shuffles upon it, but for the most part, I had forgotten the band's existence. Last week, however, while conducting a routine iTunes store scan, I was surprised to see Mine Is Yours featured in the recent albums section. After sampling a song or two, I decided to give the album a try.
As a whole, the album is cohesive without sacrificing the individuality of each song. Tracks such as the titular "Mine is Yours" and "Out of the Wilderness," for example, are ambitious and dynamic, with passion oozing out of CWK frontman Nathan Willett. Other songs such as "Royal Blue," "Finally Begin" and "Broken Open" radiate inspirational lyrics coupled with sway-worthy beats.
On first listen, Mine is Yours sounded nothing like the Cold War Kids of previous albums such as 2008's Loyalty to Loyalty. CWK has mellowed into a sound that obviously has borrowed from the current alternative rock scene. That may explain why this album doesn't stand out enough to become addictive. But originality is hard to find in today's alternative rock scene, and listeners can still enjoy the album and note that CWK opposed change - which is clearly the case after giving "Hang Me Up to Dry" another listen.
I agree with the Cold War Kids: Mine is Yours is definitely not "love at first listen." If you're looking to spice up your alternative rock collection, however, then by all means, this album is a respectable addition.
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