It appears the Cold War Kids have done a little growing up. The Southern California-based soul punks broke out in 2006 with the critically hailed debut album “Robbers and Cowards,” which was released on Downtown Records (Gnarls Barkley).
They’ve since held status as innovative indie heroes who’ve found a way to mix sparse bluesy groove with dissonant edge that’s anchored by lead singer Nathan Willett’s bold quavering tenor — which wouldn’t sound out of place in an old-school juke joint or jazz club.
But with the early success, long tours — including a high-profile stint with Death Cab for Cutie — and the rigors of a do-it-yourself aesthetic, the band started to feel complacent. So on its new album, “Mine is Yours,” which will be released in January, the musicians welcomed outside help for the first time. The group traveled to Nashville and enlisted producer Jacquire King, whose resume includes work with Tom Waits, Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse and Norah Jones.
With King at the helm, the group — which also includes Jonnie Russell (guitar), Matt Maust (bass) and Matt Aveiro (drums) — took their time and enhanced the usual raw grit with broader sonic nuance. Instead of banging out the album in a few weeks in a warehouse, like the old days, they revisited it over a few months.
“It left me a lot more time to work on lyrics, and it left all of us time to sharpen and refine the songs,” said Willett. “We started as very much a garage band. I bought a piano for our first record with very little idea of how to play it. We’ve musically grown up together.”
Willett also opened up personally in his lyrics. While previous albums were spent telling gothic tales of shady characters and tragic heroes in popular tunes like “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Hospital Beds,” this time he explored his own relationships.
In the new album’s lead single, “Louder Than Ever,” he openly seeks redemption for misgivings.
“That was deliberate on my part,” Willet said. “I had a desire to be more personal and intimate and really connect with what I was singing every night.”
Speaking of singing, Willett, who brings the Cold War Kids to the Jefferson Theater on Thursday night, hasn’t always been so open with it. While his eclectic hearty vocals — call them a cross between Nina Simone and Eddie Vedder — carry the band’s sound, he admits it took a while to find confidence in his voice.
“I used to be really shy about singing, but I always enjoyed it as my own little secret,” he said. “I realized I had a weird voice with a lot of range. I always really liked it, but I didn’t know if it would work where I lived in Southern California, being surrounded by punk and hardcore bands.
“When we formed this band, I decided to cut loose with it. Feeling the joy of singing is very much the reason that I do this.”
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