Art Brut – Art Brut vs. Satan
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Art Brut burst onto the music scene a few years back wtih their stellar Bang Bang Rock N Roll. The band was energized, and Eddie Argos self-deprecating wit came out swinging. Now, three years down the road, Art Brut are preparing to take on the devil himiself for their third full length, Art Brut vs. Satan.
Round three has the band coming out with a barrage of tightly wound rock fury; the flare is back again, and you can feel the power in the chords. Interestingly, the driving force does not appear to be the music, however, as singer Eddie Argos is pushed way up front in the final mix. For some artists, this might not be a bad decision, but I don’t think Argos dead-pan delivery warrants such a focus, despite the cleverness of his lyrics. Often, the band brings a tour de force like Les Savy Fav pummeling our ears with a frenetic pace. Angular guitars cut through thin air with sharp turns of melodious guitar chugging around each corner. Still, the focus has been, and always will be, on Eddie Argos.
Opening the album, Eddie tries to rehash his evening of drinking in “Alcoholics Unanimous” by sending out a group text, as he is sure he was up “all night making mistakes.” Clearly he has no problem with calling himself out, as he continues to do so on “The Replacements” where he admits he hasn’t heard of The Replacements at this point in his life; this is a bit sad, or at least it seems like some egregious error. Even so, you’re left to question whether or not he trying to good you into buying into everything he has to say. Perhaps this is his point. Argos wants us to question the way we listen, or why we listen, or even who we listen to these days.
Altogether, the album comes together quite nicely; it’s as consistent as their debut album. One will always wonder what would come of the band if they ever had a full-fledged singer at the mic stand, but even now, without such a person, they band sound as brash and enjoyable as ever. This is an album that will hold your attention through to the end.