Cold War Kids

In their decade long career, indie rock band Cold War Kids have withstood intense rave and criticism alike. But with their fifth full-length release the Long Beach quartet are hoping to piece together a foundation of consistency, and with Hold My Home they may have done just that.

While indie rock stands as a bit of a grey area in the music industry many have thrived at its core in recent times, and the songs on Hold My Home replicate a ghost of these acts. With influences ranging from Jeff Buckley to The Velvet Underground it is clear to see where songs like Hot Coals and the moody Go Quietly sprout from on CWK’s new release.

All the tracks on Hold My Home complement each other brilliantly, tying into one another to create an overall theme that offers a genuinely diverse and interesting listen. The positivity and energy thrives from opener All This Could Be Yours while standout track Hotel Anywhere unapologetically swaggers and grooves out of your speakers. Added synth on Nights and Weekends keeps things fresh in the slower depths of the record, as does the double-whammy of the haunting Flower Drum Song and Harold Bloom.

That’s not to say Hold My Home doesn’t have any weak links in its chain, as the whiny guitars and pained vocals on Drive Desperate and the weird carnival ‘wubbing’ sound of the album-title track that is frankly bizarre. Aside from these minor dislikes, the angsty and mood-ridden closer of Hear My Baby Call fading out shows it is obvious Cold War Kids have put a lot of effort into making this release their most promising yet, and there is not much evidence to suggest this isn’t the case.