After making their major-label breakthrough with
L.A. Divine,
Cold War Kids embarked on a project that was more ambitious and more spontaneous: New Age Norms, a trilogy of mini-albums that let them sharpen their songwriting and stretch out musically at the same time. On the first volume,
Cold War Kids and their longtime producer
Lars Stalfors continue to challenge each other. Together, they consolidated
L.A. Divine's sound into a slick yet rootsy whole; this time, they use the album's eight songs to expand the band's range. There are a few quintessentially
Cold War Kids moments here, including "4th of July," a piano-driven showcase for
Nathan Willett's falsetto that sounds almost as warm as its namesake, and "Calm Your Nerves," the kind of rousing ballad that shows why
U2 remains such a big influence on their music. For most of
New Age Norms, Vol. 1, however, the band pushes their sound forward with insistent grooves indebted to disco, funk, and pop; the scornful shimmy of "Dirt in My Eyes" could almost pass for a grittier version of
Maroon 5. On "Fine Fine Fine," the band underscores the sentiment "I don't want to be young again" with the strummy guitars of their early days and backing vocals straight from '60s soul. This reimagining of traditional sounds echoes the way
Cold War Kids question stereotypes during a time of changing social mores on
New Age Norms, Vol. 1. This includes sexual politics: "I want you for your intelligence,"
Willett croons on the strutting "Waiting for Your Love." Two of the band's clearest statements of purpose bookend the album. "Complainer" begins the album with a funky call to action against exhausting negativity, and "Tricky Devil" closes it with a smoky, spooky portrait of hypocrisy that feels equally timely and timeless. Both polished and revealing,
New Age Norms, Vol. 1 reflects how
Cold War Kids continue to broaden their horizons. ~ Heather Phares
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