Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett's transition from writing the character-driven narratives of his earlier works, such as the band's magnum opus Robbers & Cowards, to more exposed, personal lyrics was completed long before their most recent LP Hold My Home was released last year, yet Five Quick Cuts, a collection of songs left off of that album, finds Willett reaching a new level of introspection.
Grappling with the urge to pause and reset in the opening track "Stop / Rewind," Willett finds himself pushing forward regardless in "One Song At A Time" a short four minutes later. With lines like "Oh, when I began / What a dream to entertain / How do I sustain / While my heart is on display," the LA native is not just looking inward more than ever, but also becoming increasingly literal and honest over time.
Sonically, the almost robotic pots and pans percussion of the former and frenetic "We Didn't Start The Fire" vibe of the latter show the Kids at their most manic and playful as well. They impatiently launch into soaring choruses sooner and more often, such as in "Thunderhearts," possibly the best and most radio-ready of the bunch, and only take a breather in the sleepy, marching drums of the "Portuguese Bend" interlude.
Make no mistake, though, the chaos is still tightly controlled. The uninhibited and wild "da da da das" of the past are still firmly replaced by neatly aligned "hey hey heys," furthering the trajectory of Cold War Kids' discography as a bit of an odd paradox: as they loosen up and abandon their severity for light-heartedness, they simultaneously clean up their much-adored rawness with polish.
In any case, the pace has picked up in more ways than one as Willett has found a productive stride. Having barely taken his finger off the pulse with three LPs (including his side-project French Style Furs) and two EPs in only three years, he seems to contradict himself in "Amazing" when he warns "This is a marathon not a sprint."
One thing's for sure, Cold War Kids show no signs of slowing down, even if it takes one of their own motivational speeches to carry on.
Originally released as a vinyl-only Record Store Day exclusive, Five Quick Cuts is now available online as well.