(2020) Cold War Kids - New Age Norms 2


Review:
The second part in Cold War Kids’ New Age Norms trilogy continues its pop flavor while dialing up the band’s danceable nature. Whereas Volume 1 was produced by singer Nathan Willett and longtime collaborator Lars Stalfors, the second part was produced by Sean Everett (Alabama Shakes, The War on Drugs), his first collaboration with the band. In terms of tone, the two parts are virtually identical, but Volume 2 is faster and more bass-heavy. The first volume hinted at some of the discordance and off-kilter aspects of the Cold War Kids’ early work, but there of none of that to be found here. It is a straightforward indie-pop album, full of driving rhythms, sing-along choruses, and piano chords, all drenched in reverb. Throughout its history, many of Cold War Kids’ best songs have been the ones with less going on, with simpler compositions, room to breathe, and a focus on melody and Willett’s soulful vocals. There’s little of that on Volume 2, with the band instead opting for rhythmic songs with densely layered compositions. When it works, it results in fantastic moments, such as “Ceiling Fan,” which thrives on Joe Plummer’s hypnotic, clanging drums and Matthew Schwartz’s trippy synthesizer lines. “I can’t seem to tell the difference between dreams and feelings,” Willett sings over a cacophony of synths and Matt Maust’s buzzing bass. When it doesn’t work, such as with the R&B number “Obsession,” the result is flat and forgettable. For the most part, the album works, though not as well as its predecessor. Album opener “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now” is an infectious earwig about hitting rock bottom. With its propulsive rhythm and fusion of piano, synths, and rock guitars, it perfectly encapsulates the album’s sound done well. “I wonder if I held you, could you see past all my weakness?” Willett croons in the soft bridge before the song bursts into the energetic chorus. “You Already Know” is disco-funk Cold War Kids-style. Shimming synthesizers, Maust’s hopping funky bassline, and Willett’s swaggering vocals drive the song. “It wasn’t long ago we were digging in the dirt, and we came out on the other side of the world,” Willett sings. The album ends with one of its best songs, the soulful Gospel-tinged ballad “Catch Me Falling.” Beginning as a piano-based ballad, Maust’s slow bass groove then takes over in the middle, before loud, distorted synths overwhelm the rest of the instruments. Willett uses religious imagery to sing about learning from mistakes and wanting to inspire, to “be an angel in the shade, to live forever, never fade, to be the hero you count on to save the day.” Most of New Age Norms 2 contrast the song’s thematic tone with its musical tone. Songs about regret (“Regret Regret”) and failure (“Who’s Gonna Love Me Now”) are given upbeat, danceable grooves, while a song about perseverance (“Catch Me Falling”) is given the ballad treatment. While Volume 1 was a more consistent and eclectic effort, Volume 2 takes the energetic style and goes all-in. At its best, the album delivers some of Cold War Kids’ best hooks and a new mastery of big, complex pop compositions.





Tracklist:
01 - Who's Gonna Love Me Now
02 - Obsession
03 - You Already Know
04 - Ceiling Fan
05 - Regret Regret
06 - Somewhere
07 - Across the Divide
08 - Catch Me Falling


Media Report:
Genre: indie-pop, indie-rock
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits