Mine is Yours Review

This past Tuesday the Cold War Kids released their latest album Mine is Yours.  The band out of Los Angeles has always had a tendency to gravitate to more of a southern sound, and this album isn't different.  At times resembling Kings of Leon (maybe because it was produced by the same man who producer KoL's last album) and at other times they seem to be striking out in more of a synth or drum machine direction.  We've been fans of this band for a while now, especially their classic song "Old St. John," but we should make a disclaimer: this is their third album and we missed their second.

How can we be considered fans then you ask?  Well we can because we enjoy their music and didn't mean to miss their second album, and maybe someday soon we'll Grooveshark it and finally give it a good listen.  Anyway...

The opening and title track moves back and forth between piano and guitar riffs and more vocals screaming to the skies declaring "What's mine is yours!"  But the difference in this track from at least the first album, is more electro sounding opening, at first had us fearful they were moving in more of a Owl City direction, but they quickly quash that rumor and the following track is a feel good drum and guitar heavy romp, but you can't help but wonder  how good of a feeling the narrator is really having. 

With this album front man Nathan Willett shows off his yelling vocals that let you know what it's like to be hanging out with a guitar and singing about heartbreak on a humid night with the song "Broken Open" the ninth track. The guitar is gritty and southern and bouncy and fun.  He's okay with his heartbreak and he's going to let you know.  It's imagery of flooding waters almost reach a gospel pace with the repeated words "flow over me" sung out to the heavens.

The entire album is a balancing act of southern, dirty bass lines and bouncy electric guitar making it hard to believe that these boys are from Los Angeles.  We won't hold it against them, they probably listen to southern music most of the time anyway.  For a band that's been on the road most of the last six years you can tell they know how to make good driving music.  Give the album a listen and try to turn the volume up, this is good hanging out music and makes us wish it was late Spring.

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