Cold War Kids - 'New Age Norms 1' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Complainer

2. Fine Fine Fine

3. Waiting For Your Love

4. Beyond The Pale

5. Dirt In My Eyes

6. 4th Of July

7. Calm Your Nerves

8. Tricky Devil

The opening track on this album, 'Complainer', is clearly aimed at the many people in this world who like to complain about things needing to change but expect everyone else to do it for them. It’s excellent, its quite simply a quality Pop song. It may not get people to change their ways but you can always hope it changes someone and telling someone to stop complaining, get off their ass and change the world has never sounded so good! During a time when it’s become acceptable to attack those who are trying to make a difference this song can only help.

From the first song onwards this album grabs you and makes you want to get up and shake your moneymaker! Cold War Kids have nailed the groove and want to get you moving in such an enjoyable way with such a quality album that you would be mad to resist.

'Beyond The Pale' is the first song to slow it down after 3 upbeat poptastic songs. It’s lovely, it reminds me a little of Elton John in its stripped back nature but that could be because I watched Rocketman recently! The feeling of desperate resistance and possibly falling from grace into temptation is beautiful. If there was any doubt, which I didn’t have, about the quality of the vocal performance this should remove it.

'Dirt In My Eyes' returns to the groove that was so enjoyable before. It’s been a while since a record has made me want to dance as much as this one.

Then, when you think it can’t get better, '4th Of July' arrives. It’s a brilliant piece of music. The start is pure Elton John and it’s not just my recent film watching that makes me say that, it morphs into something different as it goes but at no point does the high level drop.

All in all I can’t recommend this highly enough. Cold War Kids have written possibly the best Pop album of this year. The only word to describe this is quality.