Music Review: Cold War Kids- "Mine is Yours" (2011)

A single radio single is the only exposure I have ever had to the band Cold War Kids. I am speaking about the song "Hang Me Up To Dry." Cold War Kids released their third album "Mine Is Yours" in 2011 and I decided to give the album a listen to see if the goodness that was "Hang Me Out To Dry" from an older album is there average stellar fare, or a stand out amongst dullness.

The best song on "Mine Is Yours" is "Bulldozer." It is the only song on the album where I felt all of the Cold War Kids stronger elements came together successfully. These guys have loads of talent, but this album I did not feel took it anywhere or did anything too exciting.

"Mine Is Yours": The message in this song comes across as both a passionate story about a person caring for another person and having gone through some life events with them, but then it also feels like a moral about sharing or something for kids. I guess I don't make sense and don't know why I was conflicted about the content. I did not enjoy the chorus of "Mine is yours." The presentation of the rest of it was a decent though not memorable album started of a song, sets the table for better things to come I feel.

"Louder Than Ever": "It's a slippery slope like that mouse trap game" - I am not familiar with the song writing style of Cold War Kids, perhaps I am not meant to be a fan, but this lyric I have singled out at the front of this was silly to me, when the song felt like it was meant to be a story told in all seriousness. "I can't see you, but we're still together," is more befitting, but the song never picked up speed for me and never went anywhere interesting.

"Royal Blue": "from now on I wear my love for you loose" - I like this lyric and I like the bass set mood of the song. The song is good enough that I would like to hear it a few more times and learn what the title of the song actually refers to and means as used in the song. Not a song to make me want to go rush out and buy the album or to start downloading.

"Finally Begin": A solid, adult soft rock single, but it did not connect with me, though I do appreciate the attempts at mood and story to draw me in, I'm a slippery and musically picky fish.

"Out Of The Wilderness": A hymn for the fans of the Cold War Kids perhaps. I am not a fan and I find it easy to want to shuffle over. I do like some elements found in it, such as the breakdown with guitar near the end that builds back into the crescendo of vocals .

"Skip The Charades": A plea to drop the games and just get to the straight talk, which I find to be a wonderful plea to put forth indeed. Lyrically this song is sound, but the pace of it goes too slow until a late burst of energy that is not enough to make it a song to remain in my que.

"Sensitive Kids": This song marches to a different beat than the ones before it and I mean that literally in the way that a beat machine seems to rule the background music. It isn't funky enough though as the lyrics are kind of corny to me.

"Bulldozer": There was a moment where it felt like the singer was channeling Freddie Mercury's voice on this ballad. This song gets the emotion to match with the lyrics and vocals, whereas the prior songs it always seemed like at least one thing would be out of place for me and in the way of song enjoyment. This is a very pretty song.

"Broken Open": More of the same ole stuff that I can't really say too much more about, but variatipns of the same ole stuff; yawn.

"Cold Toes On The Cold Floor": Another song where the decent story telling of the lyrics gives way to repeating the title of the song as the solo hook of a chorus attempt and singing out "Cold Toes On The Cold Floor" over and over again doesn't jive with me.

"Flying Upside Down": Okay compared to some of the other tracks, but I am ready to tune out and it is not compelling me to tune in for the bonus tracks that I know are lurking after this one.