Considering the political touches that Cold War
Kids sprinkle throughout Loyalty To Loyalty¸ it's hard not to view "loyalty"
in its recent political context: When it's valued more than competence, the
word is no longer so positive. It has an unfortunate connotation here, since
the band rigidly (and, yes, loyally) adheres to the sound of its impressive
debut Robbers & Cowards, whether it's working or not. While that record
managed to blend the disparate aesthetics of classic, Woodstock-esque soul-rock
and stripped-down, bar-basement blues, the jittery urgency on Loyalty To
Loyalty
has been largely stripped of songcraft. Nathan Willett is no longer content
with a mere Jack White-style wail; he resorts to screechy barking on "Something
Is Not Right With Me," an otherwise fine tune that could withstand the oral
onslaught were it not taken to even greater extremes on the following track, "Welcome
To The Occupation." To be fair, the record, though more of the same, does have
catchy moments: The band is still best when it pumps energy through the piano,
and poppy numbers such as "Every Valley Is Not A Lake" succeed. But the loyalty
to the exact sound—minus the real hooks—that got Cold War Kids
noticed keeps things mostly stagnant.