Art Brut - Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out!
- Written by Kenneth McMurtrie
Some bands are Marmite, whilst others are Cuprinol. Art Brut fall firmly into the latter description.
He may now be residing in Berlin (& why not?) but Eddie Argos & his brutish bunch show no overt cultural influences from the association with that creative city on their fifth album, Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out! As soon as opener 'Hooray!' issues from the speakers it's very obviously business as usual despite the seven year gap since Brilliant! Tragic!.
And that's more than fine by me. Sure, the parties they're singing about are bound to be even cooler ones than those of old (so he'll be annoying a better class of hipster), the girl(s) Eddie's been getting to know and then breaking up with is/are possibly more chic, with better cheekbones, than those exes sung about on previous albums but it's good to know he's still out there fighting the good fight for those of us who've not (yet) made it.
There are signs (on current single 'Hospital!') though that things are calming down for Argos. Unlike an (overly) late-lamented singer from a few years ago he's in agreement with the suggestion that he go to rehab, after one too many of the aforementioned parties no doubt. Given that the following song is called 'Too Clever' it's a pretty safe bet that agreement won't last for long.
And lo, by the time we get to the title track in the number ten slot Eddie Argos - Party Animal is back on the scene, wringing the very last dregs out of the party experience. Fuck it, you're only young once (he's got a year until he's 40 so that still fits).
All in then the twelve tracks here dish out exactly what you'd expect from an Art Brut album and I look forward to catching the band live next spring.
Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out! is available from Alcopop Records here.
Live Dates:-
17.01.19 LONDON, GARAGE
15.02.19 BIRMINGHAM, HARE AND HOUNDS
16.02.19 BRISTOL, THE EXCHANGE
17.02.19 CARDIFF, THE GLOBE
18.02.19 OXFORD, THE BULLINGDON
19.02.19 LIVERPOOL, PHASE ONE
20.02.19 EDINBURGH, SNEAKY PETE’S
21.02.19 GLASGOW, STEREO
22.02.19 MANCHESTER, YES
23.02.19 BRIGHTON, THE HAUNT
02.03.19 SOUTHAMPTON, THE JOINERS
03.03.19 GUILDFORD, BOILEROOM