With rich vintage guitar tones and a soulful singer that inflects like he's channeling the spirit of Jeff Buckley one moment and Billie Holiday the next, Cold War Kids' second album ventures further from their 2006 debut that garnered many a comparison to Black Keys and White Stripes. From the opener, it's obvious that Loyalty To Loyalty isn't as black and white as its predecessor - "Against Privacy" undulates with a Velvet Underground cool of saturated guitar reverb, spare drumming, sublime bass lines, and a closing guitar solo rave-up reminiscent of Buffalo Springfield-era Neil Young. Even "Mexican Dogs" (the most retro and bluesy song here) takes unpredictable sideways detours with soaring melodies that come off more like a young Bono than anything Jack White ever crooned. But at their best, Cold War Kids are incomparable to any other artist. The catchy "Something Is Not Right With Me" blends indie rock's winding guitars with late '70s disco rhythms, new wave inspired bass grooves, and post punk's anxiety riddled angularity to create an amalgamated sound that is entirely their own. - iTunes
