The California quartet is back with their third studio album, “Mine Is Yours.” Unlike their previous records, which cover maudlin and goofy topics, their newest album focuses on the pains and delights of being in love.”Mine is Yours” opens up with lead singer Nathan Willett singing, “You were changin’ colors like the leaves in the fall / I was savin’ up for the long winter.” The song deals with the reality of love-that it, like all relationships, has its ups and downs. The song, “Mine is Yours,” is a great start to the album-it’s not too powerful, but it has the guitar kicks and high vocals that the Cold War Kids are known for.

“Louder Than Ever” and “Out of the Wilderness” sound like potential arena-anthems. Both numbers have a Kings of Leon and Coldplay influence. “Louder Than Ever” has a steady beat, but the success of the song comes from its catchy chorus and Willett’s sprawling vocals. “Out of the Wilderness” is a journey of a song; it has slow moments, but they also contain the crazy sound of guitars and drums.

“Mine is Yours” has a number of other good songs as well, especially “Royal Blue” to “Skip the Charades.” Yet, the other tracks get lost in the middle. They are nowhere as near as successful as the band’s previous tracks “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Something is Not Right with Me.” However, they are worthy of a listen or two.

This is the first time Cold War Kids has partnered up with an outside producer. Jacquire King-who has worked with Kings of Leon and Modest Mouse-seems like a heavy influence on the album.

The songs sound more mainstream and you can definitely hear some Kings of Leon in the music. While the album is not necessarily bland, it lacks the luster and excitement of the band’s first album, “Robbers and Cowards.” When the album debuted in 2006, the Cold War Kids seemed to break out into the music scene because they were original and Willett’s vocals sounded fresh. But they have gained competition since then and, as a result, “Mine is Yours” is a typical rock record with a couple of good singles.