Cold War Kids preview

Cold War Kids, Tokyo Police Club
Subterranean, Chicago
Friday, March 9, 2006

Internet passions Cold War Kids and Tokyo Police Club share the same stage Friday.

The most terrifying aspect of Cold War Kids isn’t their occasionally compelling, frequently up-their-ass rock, but the knowledge singer Nathan Willett is a former English teacher. If he’s a frustrated writer, the potential for obnoxious “literary” moments could prove lethal. CWK also have to contend with sounding like The Walkmen’s kid brothers even after four developmental-league EPs.

Willett starts on the right foot on the band’s first full-length, Robbers & Cowards (Downtown), with a Davies-esque rumination on a husband/father’s responsibilities, and then stumbles through his bandmates’ roughshod Fire*Eater-isms as if he’s denying his disease while clutching the bottle. The album largely succeeds on its shakiness; its unpredictibility can be infectious when its pretentiousness doesn’t shake it to the core. Standing out in the chaos is actually drummer Matt Aveiro, who’s frequently handed space and tastefully guides the free-for-all.

Tokyo Police Club, on the other hand, are almost pure excitement. God knows what vocalist David Monks is on about (the future? no future?) except when he makes a chorus of his band’s name on “Cheer It On.” “It’s the nature of the experiment/if it’s taking me in increments,” he mumbles on the Lesson In Crime EP, frequently sounding important when he’s really just jockeying words on the refrigerator door. “Citizens Of Tomorrow” shares some Go! Team spirit over maudlin, Notwist-type verses. “If It Works” makes the EP to appear more frantic than it is, which should tell you about the energy this band can pack into two minutes. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what a band’s about — it’s just fun to watch the explosion.

Cold War Kids are playing two shows Friday night; Tokyo Police Club open only the late performance.

— Steve Forstneger

Click here to download “Indoor Fireworks” from Cold War Kids’ Acoustic At The District EP.

Click here to stream Tokyo Police Club’s EP.

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly