Spring Break
Cobras have landed for round two
Philip Kazanjian
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Gabe Saporta, former bassist and vocalist of the Jersey pop-punk band, Midtown, has come a long way with his side project, Cobra Starship. Making their debut with a tie-in single for the B-horror movie, Snakes on a Plane, Cobra later released their first album, While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets. Now with Viva La Cobra being released just a year later, the band hopes their sophomore attempt improves upon their original work and that it proves that Cobra Starship is more than a one album band.
Catchy lyrics and some rhythmic electronic beats support "The City Is at War," the first and definitely most energetic track found on the album. The track features Cobra's distinct pop sound that has had fans raising their fangs up since the band's beginning. The next track, "Guilty Pleasure," uses muted vocals and a quick tempo to define exactly what Cobra Starship is: a guilty pleasure.
"One Day, Robots Will Cry" is a noticeable step back in energy from the first two tracks, relying on static, harmonic vocals, sounding similar to the band's first album; however, the next two tracks return to the energy level that the album began with. Saporta declares, "I'm bringing sassy back," in Kiss My Sass, a bold declaration that almost holds with a wonderfully catchy introduction, but falls through as the song continues on into a bland repetition. The song doesn't pick up until Travis McCoy, of Gym Class Heroes, raps a verse, which serves as a nice changeup but certainly not a redemption. Despite the introduction, the song comes off a bit dry.
"Damn You Look Good, and I'm Drunk (Scandalous)" opens up well enough, but soon becomes forgettable, with a horribly annoying voice taking over two-thirds of the way through, offering Cobra Starship's first "huh?" moment. I won't ruin the exact line, but you'll know it when you hear it. "Smile for the Paparazzi" features an obvious and distinct Latin flair with quick drum beats and group-based vocals, though the group vocals do nothing to distinguish themselves, leaving the vocals coming up a bit bland. "Angie" is a soothed, head-swaying worthy track, but its lax attitude also prevents it from standing out at all from the rest of the album.
Catchy lyrics and some rhythmic electronic beats support "The City Is at War," the first and definitely most energetic track found on the album. The track features Cobra's distinct pop sound that has had fans raising their fangs up since the band's beginning. The next track, "Guilty Pleasure," uses muted vocals and a quick tempo to define exactly what Cobra Starship is: a guilty pleasure.
"One Day, Robots Will Cry" is a noticeable step back in energy from the first two tracks, relying on static, harmonic vocals, sounding similar to the band's first album; however, the next two tracks return to the energy level that the album began with. Saporta declares, "I'm bringing sassy back," in Kiss My Sass, a bold declaration that almost holds with a wonderfully catchy introduction, but falls through as the song continues on into a bland repetition. The song doesn't pick up until Travis McCoy, of Gym Class Heroes, raps a verse, which serves as a nice changeup but certainly not a redemption. Despite the introduction, the song comes off a bit dry.
"Damn You Look Good, and I'm Drunk (Scandalous)" opens up well enough, but soon becomes forgettable, with a horribly annoying voice taking over two-thirds of the way through, offering Cobra Starship's first "huh?" moment. I won't ruin the exact line, but you'll know it when you hear it. "Smile for the Paparazzi" features an obvious and distinct Latin flair with quick drum beats and group-based vocals, though the group vocals do nothing to distinguish themselves, leaving the vocals coming up a bit bland. "Angie" is a soothed, head-swaying worthy track, but its lax attitude also prevents it from standing out at all from the rest of the album.
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