A decade into their career, California’s Cold War Kids are essentially a new band: The majority of the members are new and so is their musical direction. At their sold-out show at Riviera Theatre, their current incarnation showcased that the group gelled well, though their set lacked some cohesion.
Cold War Kids’ debut full-length album, “Robbers & Cowards,” made a splash in 2006 with its bluesy and soulful-tinged music and clever arrangements earning them buzz in the blogosphere. But there was an inconsistency through the course of their next couple records that suggested the band was still searching for their sound. By the time 2013’s “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts” was released, guitarist/producer Dann Gallucci had joined the band and with the release of last year’s “Hold My Home,” new drummer Joe Plummer and touring keyboardist/vocalist Matthew Schwartz entered the fold. The only remaining original members are frontman Nathan Willett, who moved between guitar and piano throughout the set, and bassist Matt Maust.
Their new lineup, coupled with their new material, proved to be a good direction during much of their performance at the Riv, where they displayed a more muscular style that fueled “Hot Coals” and “Drive Desperate.” And the band’s onstage chemistry was palpable as was their energy; those unfamiliar with the lineup switches might not guess they hadn’t played together since the beginning. Maust and Gallucci careened about the stage, taking turns front and center for riffs. Schwartz effortlessly switched between piano, keyboards, additional percussion and provided the backup singing. There was also an easy playfulness between bandmates with Willett and Maust trading head butts during “Hang Me Up To Dry.”
And while some early songs, such as “Hospital Beds” and “We Used To Vacation” dovetailed well with new songs such as the excellent “First,” other material didn’t hang together as well as the band did onstage. At times, songs didn’t sound like they were from the same band, which reflected the disjointed, unfocused approach that can be heard on some of their albums.
What gave their set some consistency, though, was Willett, whose distinctive, passionate vocals provided the thread that loosely held their set together, despite him revealing he was losing his voice and asking the audience to assist on the high notes during his solo performance of “Bottled Affection.”
And while 10 years in they seemed to still be honing in on their sound, Cold War Kids latest configuration and direction showed they might have found their footing.