Loyalty to Loyalty

Cold War Kids' 2006 debut Robbers & Cowards became a hotly contested battleground for those always-delightful conceptual debates regarding bias for or against religious bands, Los Angeles bands, and blog bands, almost making it hard to remember that the record started out as a musically divisive effort. Nathan Willett's vocals (still most accurately likened to drunken Jeff Buckley karaoke) were a hell of a lot to take and the band's inexplicable decision to cover "A Change Is Gonna Come" hinted at soul brother aspirations that more often manifested itself in a white man's burden. If it seemed like too much was placed on the shoulders of an instantly familiar release, it's because Cold War Kids occasionally gave the hint that they're worth the trouble: They carry a topicality absent in much of modern rock and even if they fell short of honoring their obvious influences, they're the type a band can spend a fruitful career growing into. But Loyalty to Loyalty takes the lead from its bullish title, conjuring not Sam Cooke, but George Costanza by stating in no uncertain terms, "this is the show, and we're not gonna change it."

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