“I wasn’t raised to shoot for fame. I had the safety on… Come up for air, Come up for air.” -Cold War Kids, “Miracle Mile,” Dear Miss Lonelyhearts
“I wasn’t raised to shoot for fame. I had the safety on… Come up for air, Come up for air.” -Cold War Kids, “Miracle Mile,” Dear Miss Lonelyhearts
Here in Richmond for the first time, Cold War Kids came up for air at The National on Saturday October 26, 2013. Cold War Kids are on tour promoting their fourth album, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts. The album is loosely based on Nathanael West’s 1933 novel of the same name, in which an advice columnist has a mental breakdown while working for a New York newspaper. Singer/guitarist Nate Willett’s resounding vocal presence fuels the poetic feast of great storytelling by neatly stitching each note into a musical tapestry of rock, indie, and, blues.
Cold War Kids performed many songs from Dear Miss Lonelyhearts. I was pleasantly surprised, as I have been while playing the album pretty much nonstop over the last two weeks. “Fear and Trembling” has a retro yet refreshingly new feeling, with a synthesizer brass track and a great beat by drummer Matt Aveiro, reminiscent of a drum circle pounding a never-ending heartbeat. The simplistic yet over-infused melody makes you want to hear it again in case you missed a note. As the lyrics say, “I want to tell you my thoughts, but they scatter like crows.” The standout song on this album is without a doubt “Miracle Mile.” Cold War Kids performed it with dynamic driving piano from Schwartz, and its catchy chorus had the audience singing along. Former Modest Mouse guitarist Dan Gullucci’s riffs added his pop/punk influence to the band’s mix, and everyone was singing and dancing to this upbeat infectious song.
And then we came up for air.
With “Louder Than Ever” and “Royal Blue” the only songs played from their 2011 album Mine Is Yours, I admit I was a bit disappointed. I like this album and wanted to hear more! Although many proclaim it to be too commercial to be a true Cold War Kids album, I found it refreshing and ambitious, with a more polished finish than their other albums. However, if I had to choose only two songs to hear Cold War Kids play from this album, these are the two. Willett brings his strongest vocals on “Louder Than Ever,” and the heavy bass lines on “Royal Blue” drive deep into your soul.
Their 2006 debut Robbers & Cowards is the album most people hold to high acclaim, and Cold War Kids did not disappoint, playing the majority of the set from this album. “Hang Me Up To Dry” got the audience shouting “I’ll be alright if I could just see you” back to Willett as he pontificated among the sharp pulsating bass riffs of Matt Maust. Willett’s smooth versatility in switching from piano to guitar while shouting out a perfect falsetto on “Something Is Not Right” was impressive. The band ended the set with “Hospital Beds” and, after an unexpected and perfect encore with the bluesy “Saint John,” a difficult song to pull off live, the fans roared with appreciation
The Cold War Kids show left the audience feeling quite satiated, but still wanting more, with the set lasting just over an hour. The band members, however, were very gracious and hung out with fans after the performance, signing autographs, taking pictures and answering questions. One new fan exclaimed, “I didn’t know what to expect tonight, but you were great! I’ll be back.”
