Search - Art Brut :: Art Brut vs. Satan

Engaging and clever, even if the schtick gets old at times

Howlinw | California, USA | 05/05/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"3.5 stars.



I've been listening to this band off and on for years, and admit that they're kind of a guilty pleasure for me. No way am I in the demographic you'd associate with Art Brut. I'm a gainfully employed Californian thirtysomething who would look pretty ridiculous if I were able to squeeze myself into the tight, fashionable clothes these guys probably wear. When I listen to this music, however, it takes me back to my younger years when I would go see punky bands play at little clubs. Perhaps that explains at least in part why some of the tracks on this CD are such a fun listen for me.



This band's sound is almost like rock n roll stand-up comedy, with a ridiculously brash cockney-accented vocalist and a very stripped-down punk aesthetic. The problem with this band is the "one-trick pony" phenomenon, ie once you've heard a few of the band's songs you've heard them all. Also, the distinctiveness of their approach tends to lead to a love-'em-or-hate-'em type of reaction among the music-listening population (not unlike prog-rock band Rush, which is one of my favorite bands and about as far on the other side of the rock n roll spectrum as you can get from Art Brut). In other words, most people will know right away whether or not they like this band.



When it comes to any of Art Brut's music, I tend to cherry-pick from the albums and download a few tracks with lyrics that strike me as being particularly funny, clever or somehow relevant to my life at the time. I then throw these tracks on mixes with other things. Ultimately that's the best way to listen to these guys IMHO. A whole Art Brut album is a bit much to sit through at once.



What's here is fundamentally no different than their earlier stuff, and in a way I'm glad. Ironically this is a very safe purchase (the irony is that "safe" was probably not what the band members were going for when they entered the recording studio) - if you know about this band then you know what to expect from each new batch of songs that they release. They've sharpened their sound a bit here with the wise choice of producer Black Francis (of the Pixies) to produce some great garage rock sounds. For a band like Art Brut it's the best you can hope for.



If you are among the uninitiated, I recommend that you download a few tracks if you are curious. "DC Comics and a Chocolate Milkshake" is a great place to start, a nice little warm, friendly slab of nostalgia that makes perfect sense to me. If you like what you are hearing, you might consider giving a listen to some of their older stuff too. You don't need to be wearing tight trousers to appreciate good music.



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