Hang them out to dry!
Competing with the Triptych festival and Low who were playing down the road, Cold War Kids still managed to attract a healthy crowd for their Glasgow show.
'We Used To Vacation' opens the album and helps to set the tone for the night. Lead singer Nathan Willett's cracked vocals, intoning of the demon drink and of the "accident" that blighted the family. As songs go, it's pretty emotive but it allows the band to stretch out early. The piano led riff may seem to be the fulcrum of the track but lurching dancing and lunging bass-lines of Matt Maust were effective too.
And for the next few songs, the striding tone continued as Willett varies from piano to guitar and back. On form, there's no denying that Cold War Kids are a strong act and the crowd were responding in kind.
Things started to go astray in the middle of the set though, much like the album where certain songs pale in comparison to bigger tracks. When the piano meanders and the vocals and percussion head towards jazz, attention slips and you realise the band doesn't yet have enough great songs in their arsenal. Yet being the operative word as 'Hang Me Up To Dry' sparks the crowd to life. Already a firm favourite in the UK due to its release as a single, the track is explosive with an energy and passion that even nullifies the chaotic piano attack.
As a work in progress, Cold War Kids have some excellent songs but they need more to become a major headline act.