The Cold War Kids’ last album was a departure from the indie sound they exhibited on “Robbers & Cowards,” as they chose to go for a more mainstream sound. “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts” is a return back to their indie roots and their original sound. There’s a few misses with the title track and “Fear & Trembling,” but songs like “Miracle Mile” will pump you up just as much as “Tuxedos” will get you thinking. The album is something like the inverted giant drop at amusement parks; you start off being shot upwards then calm down a bit before another shot followed by the slow return to the ground. The title track might make you feel like the ride is malfunctioning before you hit the ground, but “Bitter Poem” brings you home safely.
Grade: B+
Sounds Best When: On a kind of, but not the most, emotional walk in the park.
99 cent download: Tuxedos
