Though it is likely too early in the year to call, 'Behave Yourself' is a contender for the Most Appropriately Titled Release of 2010. While this seems like a neutral description, it reflects a positive development in Cold War Kids' sound. On their new EP, the maturing Kids move in a more soulful, melodic direction while sacrificing some of the innovation and sharpness that marked their youth.
The EP arrived on shelves Jan. 19, the latest in a growing catalogue of Cold War Kids releases. Starting in 2005, the band built a name for itself in the indie'minus;rock community with a string of EPs. They would not break into the mainstream until the release of their critically successful debut LP, 'Robbers and Cowards' (2006). Vintage instruments powered the precocious record's dusty percussion, and thick bass lines created an old'minus;fashioned atmosphere, much like the work of The Walkmen, that sounded more like attic rock than garage. The formula wore thin on the Kids' follow'minus;up 'Loyalty to Loyalty' (2008), in which any attempts to deviate were too meager to be effective.
Rather than trying a radically different approach on 'Behave Yourself,' Cold War Kids have decided to, well, behave. The result is an EP that is easier on the common ear, albeit sonically unadventurous. The off'minus;beat cymbal washes and dissonant chimes of 'Saint John' (from 'Robbers and Cowards') won't be found on any new tracks, except the bonus CD'minus;only oddity 'Baby Boy.' This miniature tune seems to shave all the potential pandemonium off the full'minus;length tracks and confine them to a 37'minus;second throwaway. It pointlessly disturbs the powerhouse finale of 'Sermons' in the context of the record and, out of context, it stands only as a short, wistful reminder of the childlike vigor that gets abandoned with adolescence.
Thematically, the EP covers starkly different ground. Frontman Nathan Willett's despairing cries against the vices and iniquities of humanity from 'Robbers and Cowards' don't show up here. Instead, a shy croon crawls through 'Coffee Spoon,' a song concerning compulsive consumerism. With dripping guitars and a softly 'oohing' chorus, 'Coffee' sounds like the closest thing to a straight'minus;up love song in Cold War Kids' discography.
That title, however, truly belongs to 'Santa Ana Winds.' In this quick piece, Willett serenades his California hometown of Los Angeles - the figurative prodigal son expressing his love and yearning for both its urban and natural beauty. Emotion is delivered through an uneven variety of viscerally effective descriptions ('Seatbelt sticks in the poison heat') and questionable name'minus;drops ('Chutes and ladders leaving me where I begun/ Like Joan Didion'), muddling the passion with an unwelcome dose of pretension.
While it ultimately falls short of delivering lyrically, the band compensates with pulsing, upbeat rhythms and staccato guitars. The EP's trend toward streamlined structures and focused melodies pays off in spades. Case in point: The minimalist melodies of the opening track, 'Audience,' are timely and powerful, augmenting the strength of the catchy refrain, 'Playing for an audience of one.' The repetition is hardly forced, as each verse eases into the catchy phrase with a fluidness that's at once casual and theatrical.
A sizeable portion of Cold War Kids' new melodic tightness stems from the EP's notably crisper production. Again, a single track can be used as a clear example of this improvement: in this case the closer, 'Sermons.' Fans of Cold War Kids' previous work will recognize this track as a revitalized version of 'Sermons vs. the Gospel,' the acoustic tidbit hidden at the end of 'Robbers and Cowards.' A studio facelift does wonders for the song, enhancing the raw soul of Willett's stellar vocal performance with the most haphazardly beautiful musical climax found on the EP.
The raw power and innovation that marked 'Robbers and Cowards' and failed to translate onto 'Loyalty to Loyalty' has finally been comfortably restrained on 'Behave Yourself.' Maturation is both a blessing and a curse that can shroud the future of most bands in uncertainty, but based on the consistency of 'Behave Yourself' - to paraphrase Vampire Weekend - the Kids do stand a chance.
