Album: Men's Needs, Women's Needs. Whatever
Artist: The Cribs
Websites: Myspace and Official

There is definite truth to Ricky Wilson's (of the Kaiser Chiefs) proclamation that The Cribs are "one of the most under-rated bands around." They have little more than a decent indie underground following, due to their small venue tours and stints on the road with their fellow mates, the Kaiser Chiefs.

The Cribs have released three albums with just a little more than moderate success. Their latest, Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever is the band's fourth offering, and with it comes a better understanding of just how diverse their sound can be.

{mosgoogle right}The album begins with a freshly buoyant personality, swimming along happily outlining the differences between the species. By albums end there is a certain depth to be found encompassed within an edgier sound from The Cribs that is delivered with gusto and effective sincerity.

A band not shy about preferring to be signed with an indie label as opposed to a major one wouldn't be bothered by the use of the word ‘moderate' to describe their ‘success'. They've always played hard, toured hard, and earned their stripes as one of the most highly regarded indie bands around.

Their music is reflective of an entire gamut of issues that relate them to their audience. Namely, having a good time, relationship dos and don'ts, keeping your friends close and being comfortable in your own skin. Needs is an album that corrals all of that into a sharp offering with stunning vocals, tighter melodies, and quality production value (courtesy Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos). It's great fun, with an all-at-once energetic and entertaining, insightful and conscientious style.

The first eight tracks race out of the gate with their harmonious pop rhythms and descending bass lines. A message that The Cribs are realists and don't buy into what's trendy is delivered, hence the honesty of their delivery in tracks like "Our Bovine Public", "Men's Needs", and "I'm A Realist". Needs steadily moves into an area of celebratory pragmatism from the perspective of a band that has no iconic rock n' roll status and no idealistic aspirations for that kind of achievement.

This album highlights The Cribs' contented indifference towards it all, straddling the kind of talent that sustains them in the mass conscience of true music lovers. Needs has a good time with itself, and so we have a good time with it. There is a degree of self deprecation, romantic theory and social commentary. Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo highlights the latter in a spoken-word gem track "Be Safe" near the album's close. This song is so indicative of the world, giving off a cryptic Radiohead-esque vibe swathed in meaning—a poetic ode to whatever you're supposed to be aware of in life.

Needs is a complete package with alternating moods. There's something for every season...every occasion. It's great fun that gets you thinking a bit, be it consciously or subliminally. The Cribs are just above the level of decent musicians and so is their latest album. Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever, whatever indeed.

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http://www.merchandizeliquidat   |2007-07-17 08:24:34 Great Albom Reply 0   0

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."