 Album: It's A Bit Complicated
Artist: Art Brut
Official Site: artbrut.org.uk
MySpace: myspace.com/artbrut
It's A Bit Complicated seems, at first listen, to be more of the same from Art Brut, but we aren't complaining. While the new album matches up almost track by track with its predecessor Bang Bang Rock n' Roll, it can easily be viewed as the exciting continuation of a saga, rather than a disappointing repeat of history. It's the great tale of Edie Argos' youth, adolescence, manhood and potential future.
The two albums are in fact ingeniously different from one another in subtle ways. For example, while Complicated's "Direct Hit" musically echoes the guitar driven "Formed A Band" and the strumming bass line of "Nag, Nag, Nag, Nag" are in line with Rock n' Roll's "My Little Brother", the messages in each song differ; either minimally, or greatly.
While "Formed A Band" is Art Brut's coming out party (and arguably their best song to date), telling the epic tale of their formation and eventual conquering of the world through Top of the Pops; "Direct Hit" is about an awkward guy with ill-fitting shoes clumsily attempting to dance all of his problems away. A great difference.
And while its clear "My Little Brother" is the tale of Argos' younger brother's discovery of rock n' roll music and subsequent rebellion as a result of his insatiable love for B-sides; it's even more evident that "Nag, Nag, Nag, Nag" is Argos' own tale of the results of his love affair with his record collection (reduced to a mix tape), and his subsequent rebellious departure from home (white trousers in tow). A small difference.
Argos writes songs that tell stories. Some of them are extremely familiar, while others are way outside your frame of reference. Regardless, they are all engaging, especially when told against such a musically vibrant rock n' roll soundtrack. Each song on the Brut's latest release, It's A Bit Complicated, can easily be classified as a rock narrative; each more fascinating than the other; each one unique unto itself in small ways that you have to really be listening to in order to catch.
You can probably credit this interpretation of storytelling to lead vocalist Eddie Argos' strange way of talking in a sing-songy voice over each track, as opposed to actually making an attempt to carry a tune. He makes everything sound like narration in the most unpretentious way possible. While listening, there is the nagging sensation of being trapped in a one-way conversation with that one guy at a party who's had too much to drink, and has come over all chatty and friendly, like he's known you for years.
Love is still a favorite of Argos' as he enjoys waxing on about things like making out while straining to hear a pop song on the radio ("Pump Up The Volume"), working very hard to keep a relationship going by continuously starting over ("Post Soothing Out"), his argument that people in love become so upset after breakups they lie around and get fat ("People In Love"), and being so jealous of his girlfriend's ex's ability to keep her awake at night he himself just can't seem to let her sleep ("Jealous Guy").
He's funny, irreverent, and earnest on the subject. It seems a great hobby of his, the study of love and music and its affects on people. One also gets the feeling that he's trying to help us learn from his mistakes. In this effort, Argos is so real it's scary, and we initially didn't know whether or not we liked our rock n' roll front men so jarringly identical to ourselves. But the more he talks, the more we listen.
Even though Complicated has stepped down one peg on the amount of energy in its presentation (the songs seem slower, more deliberate, less frantic), and Argos' voice has deepened slightly, the total package definitely measures up. Art Brut as a band is one of the most uniquely talented ensembles swimming in the great stream free flowing out of the UK at the moment.
Eddie Argos is a brilliantly insightful, witty, and adept lyricist. The Brut's prove longevity and the potential to reach iconic pop-culture status with the release of It's A Bit Complicated, another tremendously entertaining, intelligent commentary on the lives of young people. If they keep it up, they just might go down in history.
It's A Bit Complicated is in stores June 19th.
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