Secret ten-minute-warning Cold War Kids show at Prospector for free? Let it be, as the pros used to say: they were just packing up some stuff, said guitarist Jonnie Russell, and they really wanted to play, so karaoke interrupted and Cold War Kids follow “Push It” and “Don’t Fear The Reaper” with a set of all-new songs (from upcoming Loyalty To Loyalty, teased beautifully here and perfunctorily here) plus one Fugazi cover (“Furniture,” delivered ferociously) and one oldie (“Quiet Please”) which was nothing but a wisp of a demo the last time they played Prospector. Trainspotters will want to know: new songs (as not atypical for the wild-west Prospector mix) tonight were uniformly more fierce than the Kids of “Hang Me Up To Dry” or “Hospital Beds.” I was catching less of those instantly inviting choruses that made the peak points on Robbers and Cowards—don’t get grumpy because “Welcome To The Occupation” (introduced by singer and ex-teacher Nate as for “all the teachers”) transferred in that sturdy old charm, as did as another title-unknown that built everything from Jonnie’s gurning organ—and finding instead lyrics and music fit closely together to pursue something sharper and darker. (Will this be the “She’s So Heavy” album?) Nate (who already populates a lot of his songs with protagonists who could get temp roles in Jim Thompson stories) seems like he’s recruiting only the most anti of heroes for new songs like stand-out “Something Is Not Right With Me” and “Every Man I Fall For,” which gives Harry Powell a graveyard shift to go with his knuckle tattoos and (I think?) turns it into a love story. I’ve been very curious about the second album from this band ever since we talked just after their White Stripes tour got cancelled. I wouldn’t want to make a clinical assessment based on cheerful Prospector wildness for a crowd sometimes wondering why none of these songs had lyrics on the TV screen—though I heard at least one comment to the effect of who-that-they’re-good!—but tonight did not sound at all like more of the same, which is something I am heartened to hear. Next local show is Sunset Junction and album is out in September.

Tags: cold war kids, Long Beach, loyalty to loyalty, new album, prospector, secret show