Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: Connor Turner |
It takes a lot of gusto to lay claims that your sound is a fusion of ‘70s glam legends Queen and ‘90s politico rockers Rage Against the Machine. It takes even more cojones to make this claim when your piano-infused pop is more akin to a fusion of Cold War Kids and Billy Joel.
Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. Crash Kings’ self-titled debut is ten tracks of guitar-less piano-driven joy. From dance room tracks such as ‘1985,’ ‘Raincoat’ and ‘You Got Me Where You Want Me,’ it becomes pretty clear that the Crash Kings’ goal is simply to be an accessible and enjoyable band. Where the Crash Kings really excel is when they leverage their knack for pop melodies, like on the aforementioned ‘1985,’ which could easily pass as a retro anthem for the kids of the aughts. But unfortunately, Crash Kings seem to falter dramatically when they try to pretend they’re something they’re not. An example of this is the track ‘Saving Grace,’ which attempts to show the darker more aggressive side of the Crash Kings, but misses the target.
With all that being said, Crash Kings is a very enjoyable record and one that successfully rides the coat tails of Cold War Kids. Before listening, the only thing you have to remove is any preconceived notion that this is the second coming of the new rock messiah. It is what it is – a great album of piano-driven, sing-along pop.
