Art Brut: Not Complicated

I can’t get over my old flame. I’m still in love with Emily Kane. Every girl I’ve seen since looks just like you when I squint … I hope this songs finds you fame. I want school kids on buses singing your name”); “My Little Brother” complains about music snobs (“He no longer listens to A-sides. He made me a tape of bootlegs and B-sides”); “Rusted Guns of Milan” bemoans impotence (“I know I can, I know I can. I’m fine when I am with my own hand … It doesn’t mean that I don’t love you, one more try with me above you”); “Good Weekend” celebrates a “brand new girlfriend” (“I’ve seen her naked twice! I’ve seen her naked twice!”); and “Bang Bang Rock and Roll” critiques the state of rock music (“I can’t stand the sound of the Velvet Underground … No more songs about sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It’s boring!”).

Their sophomore album, It’s a Bit Complicated, is scheduled for release in June 2007. The band posted five of its songs on their website, and listening to them, it’s clear that their second album will be just as enjoyable as their debut. All the songs are lively and feature great guitar melodies, but the two stand-out tracks are “Pump Up the Volume,” a funny, bouncy number that contemplates romantic etiquette (“I know I shouldn’t, and it’s possibly wrong to break from your kiss to turn up a pop song”) and “Post Soothing Out,” about a rocky relationship (“Every day is just like starting over, we try so hard but we keep on falling over … You’re worried and I have my doubts, but I’m drunk when I text so I send post soothing out”); the latter song contains one of the catchiest guitar riffs I’ve heard in a long time.

Art Brut is often compared to Wire or The Fall, but what sets this band apart from these two and all others is its ability to make fans dance and laugh simultaneously. Now that’s “a bit complicated!”

Photo courtesy of Art Brut