“First,” by Cold War Kids, has the gripping quality of Bruce Springsteen’s “Because The Night” from 1978.Both songs are testosterone driven expressions about love and lust.
The Cold War Kids’ rendition, about the darker side of the man/woman thing, tells of a man in despair over his relationship. He spits out words in brief phrases that express the most base and basic of emotions and thoughts. Cheating. Lies. Redemption. Irony.
Springsteen’s “Because the Night” is more positive, focusing on the lusty, heady feelings of love rather than of the angst and pain.
But those are minor differences. If you like Springsteen’s “Because the Night” than “First” by Cold War Kids could be for you. A good rock song is a good rock song.
As an aside, if you were 22-years old when “Because the Night” came out, you’d be 60 today—a good age to look back with some objectivity at the intensity of just being that young.
And isn’t it reassuring to know that some thing never change, that love-sick 22-year old men and women are still crazy, and that hearing certain songs causes us to reflect on our own youthful affairs of the heart? Do we see regret and anger? A fond smile? Awe? All of the above can be triggered by a rock song with a lead guitar that hammers, and lyrics that deliver as much emotion as the English language can pack into 3+ minutes.
About Cold War Kids
Five men. From Southern California. They’ve been around. Their first album came out 10 years ago.
That name: Band member Matt Maust was traveling with his brother in Eastern Europe when he noticed some old statues in a park that were left there following the fall of Communism. Being in the park, thinking of kids and the long gone cold war gave Maust the idea for a band name.
“First” reached #1 one on Alternative radio and it’s now racing up the Adult Top 40 format.