Furthering my belief that professional reviewers are fucking idiots, I got a listen to the Cold War Kids ("CWK") abum, Robbers and Cowards this weekend, and they're not half bad.
Essentially, the Amazon review I had read said that CWK was just an average example of a merely average genre of pop music today, touting that upon listening to it "you realize that Cold War Kids is just another mainstream band over-mining a once fertile underground sound is short enough that you can cut your losses and find something more worthwhile."
I'l agree to a certain extent that there is something of a genre of grainy rock bands "fascinated with the first Strokes album and bent on expanding the promise of that artistically ill-fated group." Tied to them is the Modest Mouse hopefuls and pretenders out there. It's a crowded field, and to be sure, there's little there to excite the senses.
CWK isn't necessarily a great band. But, they do pretty well with some good beats and fun vocals. The singer's voice is a bit whiney, but so is Billy Corgan's, and Corgan can rip the devil out of hell and beat him senseless with his vocals. A number of the songs on the CWK album are forgettable, but I’m a believer that a band who has pulled half of a good album out might deserve my money, if it’s a slow release month.
If nothing else, CWK are a decent example of the "genre," if such a thing exists (I'm not a fan of such categorizations, myself). I can’t definitelyely tell you to buy their album, but I don’t want to say not to, either. A number of their songs absolutely rock, and the rest may grow on you.
I think it might depend on your view of the genre, or your belief that this genre even exists, as described.
Give their song Passing the Hat a listen (click the pic here - slightly lower quality recording than on the album). If you like it, you'll probably like the album.
Essentially, the Amazon review I had read said that CWK was just an average example of a merely average genre of pop music today, touting that upon listening to it "you realize that Cold War Kids is just another mainstream band over-mining a once fertile underground sound is short enough that you can cut your losses and find something more worthwhile."
I'l agree to a certain extent that there is something of a genre of grainy rock bands "fascinated with the first Strokes album and bent on expanding the promise of that artistically ill-fated group." Tied to them is the Modest Mouse hopefuls and pretenders out there. It's a crowded field, and to be sure, there's little there to excite the senses.
CWK isn't necessarily a great band. But, they do pretty well with some good beats and fun vocals. The singer's voice is a bit whiney, but so is Billy Corgan's, and Corgan can rip the devil out of hell and beat him senseless with his vocals. A number of the songs on the CWK album are forgettable, but I’m a believer that a band who has pulled half of a good album out might deserve my money, if it’s a slow release month.
If nothing else, CWK are a decent example of the "genre," if such a thing exists (I'm not a fan of such categorizations, myself). I can’t definitelyely tell you to buy their album, but I don’t want to say not to, either. A number of their songs absolutely rock, and the rest may grow on you.
I think it might depend on your view of the genre, or your belief that this genre even exists, as described.Give their song Passing the Hat a listen (click the pic here - slightly lower quality recording than on the album). If you like it, you'll probably like the album.
1 comment:
Dude. I coulda told you they were good.
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