Cobra Starship - ¡Viva la Cobra! (2007)

Grades:
Overall: A-
Music: B-
Vocals: A
Lyrics: B+
Creativity: B
Catchiness: A+

Written by submitter Kristina:

When Gabe Saporta gasps for air at the very beginning of “The City Is At War,” the listener is captivated and not willingly released. The NYC-based group’s ¡Viva La Cobra! is an energetic compilation of songs featuring varying degrees of danceability, farce, and sexual reference. “The City Is At War” kicks off the album with a rock-out anthem about the social tensions in urban America, lightheartedly mocking the elite in the chorus: “The city is at war, bless the young and rich with designer drugs and designer friends.” The album continues to second track and second highlight “Guilty Pleasure,” which basically serves as a backdrop to dancing (there’s even a dance that goes with the chorus – you can learn it from the music video).

¡Viva La Cobra! is good throughout, consistently dishing up catchy songs with decent lyrics, good vocals, and a unique sound. The only complaint I have is that in some cases the songs sound very similar to other songs on the album. I attribute this to the nearly identical instrumental parts on a couple of songs. On the other hand, this negative is more than compensated for in the form of blessedly unique songs like “Smile For The Paparazzi,” one of my personal favorites, which gives “advice” to young women on how to make it into the gossip rags. Some songs cover social topics like this one, some are more comedic, and a couple are about dancing. There is only one love song on the whole album, which is great for those of us who are tired of those. The diversity on this album makes it a great listen all the way through. If you enjoy light political commentary, occasional sexual references, and/or really catchy songs, then give ¡Viva La Cobra! a try.

For all you fucking Midtown fans (joke...), the guilty pleasure album of the decade, a sense of humor injected into pop/rock. Try "Damn You Look Good And I'm Drunk (Scandalous)," "The City Is At War," and "Kiss My Sass."

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