Behave Yourself [EP] - Cold War Kids
Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. What this EP shows most effectively is the band's seemingly innate ability to restrain themselves into a frenzy.
  2. Streamlined, confident, and cohesive, Behave Yourself finds Cold War Kids getting their groove back.
  3. There may be moments of repetition that indicate a bit a creative bankruptcy, and even for an EP this is perhaps all too brief an outing. However, Behave Yourself easily topples most of Cold War Kids' previous endeavors.
  4. 60
    As usual, though, Willett also tries to showcase his brainpower, clumsily referencing works most commonly studied in AP literature....But the four-song EP is perfectly short; if you focus on the sturdy tunes and ignore the pseudo-smartness, it's plenty sweet, too.
  5. These four songs fulfill expectations for minimalist, rhythm-based deconstructions of genre. [Feb 2010, p.93]
  6. With Behave Yourself, maturation means shaving off all those jagged edges that made the work so appealing in the first place. [Holiday 2009, p.82]
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. TimH
    8
    Sounds great on vinyl. I especially like "Audience." Maybe not one of my favorite EPs ever, but it will definitely get lots of play (already has).
  2. CodyT
    6
    I'd rate this higher if it were a full album! the material here is so good that its one of the biggest shames of the year that it didnt go on to form a complete album. If only they had put solid tracks like "Coffee Spoon" and "Audience" on their last LP. Full Review »