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A lot of people are going to hate this album, but not everyone. For their third record, the Long Beach band holed up in a Nashville studio with Jacquire King, producer for arena gods/critical punching bags Kings of Leon. The influence shows, with the Kids going in a decidedly huger direction, exploring the more emotional, cathartic side of their sound and playing down the story-based (and occasionally awkward) lyrics in favor of musings on crumbling and flourishing relationships. On Mine Is Yours, everything is bigger. King's reverb-tinged production puts the focus on the band's surprisingly tender melodies and slow-burn rock arrangements; the result is 11 melodic, economical tracks that deliver huge hooks without sacrificing instrumental dexterity. The twin electric guitars of Jonnie Russell and frontman Nathan Willett throb with newfound clarity; Willett's vocals, meanwhile, are a thing of aching beauty, soaring over the arrangements with newfound confidence. Every melody stings like Coldplay for tough guys. On the verses, Cold War Kids sound as if they couldn't wait for the choruses; "Finally Begin" is instrumentally tough (Aveiro's nimble hi-hat and tom fills piercing with Ringo-like precision) and melodically incendiary; "Broken Open" is a full-blown arena weeper. Pull out your lighter, but watch out for those tears.
