Cold War Kids: Robbers & Cowards : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

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Like Creedence Clearwater Revival before them, blog-buzz kings Cold War Kids channel the gothic spirit of the Deep South -- at least as imagined by dudes from California. But this suburban Los Angeles foursome has some actual holy-roller bona fides. Three of the four (frontman Nathan Willett, bassist Matt Maust and guitarist Jonathan Bo Russell) met at an evangelical Christian college, and the spirit of an old-fashioned tent revival infuses the band's remarkable story songs. Over cave-stomp drums, barroom piano and chiming post-punk guitars, Willett -- whose high tenor sounds a little like Jack White's -- spins tales that wouldn't seem out of place in a Flannery O'Connor collection. There's a drunk who continually disappoints his family ("We Used to Vacation"); a death-row inmate imprisoned for killing his sister's would-be rapist ("Saint John"); a criminal on a midnight run with "bourbon and a pistol in the dash, out of sight" ("Rubidoux"). And much as Bruce Springsteen feels deep sympathy for the murderers and fuckups who populate Nebraska, Robbers & Cowards has a deeply Christian take on its titular anti-heroes: that even the worst among us is capable of redemption.

JONATHAN RINGEN

(Posted: Oct 30, 2006)

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Review 1 of 2

5of 5 Stars

What a great album, solid all the way through! 'Hang Me Out to Dry' is the clear standout...stoked that it ranked #8 in Triple J's Hottest 100 (only Australian's will recognise that one)!

Feb 8, 2008 16:21:17

Review 2 of 2

5of 5 Stars

BY FAR THE MOST COMPALING ALBUM EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE TIME! I STUMBLED ACROSS THEIR FIRST TRACK 3/20/2007 "HANG ME UP TO DRY" BOUGHT THE ALBUM ON iTUNES DIDN'T LISTENED TO IT TILL 4 DAYS LATER AND LISTEN TO THE WHOLE ENTIRE ALBUM AND IT WAS JUST LIKE I FELL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE AND WANTED JUST MORE OF IT SO I DOWNLOADED MORE OF THEIR UNDERGROUND MUSIC AND JUST FELL IN LOVE EVEN MORE THEY'RE LOCALS TO ME CAUSE I LIVED IN AZUSA, CA ALL MY LIFE AND THEY JUST STARTED IN FULLERTON, CA(SO I'VE HEARD)

May 13, 2007 16:02:02

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