[rating=6.00]
For many fans, Cold War Kids peaked with their 2006 debut LP Robbers & Cowards. Others have come to appreciate the Long Beach band’s foray into pop music and the more radio-friendly sound that came with it. For fans on either side of the spectrum, L.A. Divine is likely to be a disappointment.
Lead single “Love Is Mystical,” which also opens the album, is a great litmus test. Fans who roll their eyes at the reverb saturation, hand claps, and pop hooks will find little to like about L.A. Divine. Fans who dig the piano chords, Nathan Willett’s soulful vocals, and the attention-grabbing melody will be much more forgiving. Even for them, however, the band’s sixth full-length album doesn’t reach the high standard of their last two underrated pop albums, 2013’s Dear Miss Lonelyhearts and 2014’s Hold My Home.
The previous two albums were drenched in reverb and traded in Cold War Kids’ biggest quirks – such as off-time rhythms and guitar riffs that seemed independent of any key or scale – for a more streamlined sound that focused more on melody and harmonies. However, buried beneath the pop sheen was that unique sound that can only be Cold War Kids: the sparse rhythms in “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts,” the funky guitar-vocal-guitar cadence of “Flower Drum Song,” or the stripped-down keys and vocals croon of “Harold Bloom.”
It’s difficult to find such highlights on L.A. Divine. It’s difficult to find many of Cold War Kids’ trademarks. Quite simply, the band’s first album with Capitol Records doesn’t have many memorable moments. Too often the songs rely on the same recycled thumping bass drum and sing-along chorus patterns. After guitarist Dann Gallucci had brought a louder rock presence to the last two albums, his departure is felt on an album where the guitar is mostly relegated to the background.
The bulk of L.A. Divine isn’t bad; it’s simply uninspired pop that doesn’t make much of an impact. Songs like “So Tied Up” – which wastes Bishop Briggs – and “Can We Hang On” are bland and formulaic, offering nothing to stand out from anything else in the alternative scene. That’s not to say that the album doesn’t have its good points, though.
Willet’s lyrics are top notch, even with him focusing more on introspection now than on storytelling. Vocally, Willet has transformed himself into one of the most dynamic and soulful singers in the scene. His distinct delivery, phrasing, and emotional evocation are able to carry the dullest Cold War Kids songs.
Matt Maust’s funky bassline in “Ordinary Idols” recalls some of his best work (“St. John,” “Cold Toes on the Cold Floor”). “Restless” is the Cold War Kids version of a slow jam, with Willet crooning over a slow, crunching R&B beat. “Every mountain you climb takes you farther away,” Willet sings of an uneasy relationship where neither party is sure they want to settle down.
