Elite Opinion spins: Cold War Kids

Cold War Kids/ Robbers & Cowards Ever wonder what a Walkmen album would sound like if almost every track was as good as “The Rat”? Well, kids, look no further than Fullerton, CA’s Cold War Kids’ striking debut, Robbers & Cowards. Elite Opinion’s probably about the 658,471th blog to talk about this album, but we’re just fashionably late to the party – only the fucking losers get there first. Although Robbers & Cowards is their debut full-length, Cold War Kids have been setting the mood for years with three well-received EPs. Right off the bat, album opener “We Used To Vacation” hits brutally hard delivering a harrowing account of the ravages of alcoholism on a family. And these magnificent bastards don’t let up on the next track, one of Robbers & Cowards' standouts, “Hang Me Up To Dry,” a song powered by a filthy guitar riff that hangs in the air like a cloud of smog. Listen closely to spot influences ranging from the aforementioned The Walkmen, as well as Jack White, Jeff Buckley and others, all of whom Cold War Kids use to fashion one of 2006’s best releases. -Dirty Frank Dirty Rating: 87/100 [THE ‘SPACE] Cold War Kids [HOME] Cold War Kids