Bang Bang Rock 'n' Roll [Digipak] - Art Brut

...and bought their debut album, Bang Bang Rock And Roll as it seemed to be receiving pretty good reviews. At the time I thought that lead singer Eddie Argos, yes apparently that is his name, had quite a distinctive vocal style and this may make or break the album.

It was certainly a case of Eddie's vocals making or breaking the album and I have to say that for me he certainly made it. It will be a case of one or the other for just about ...
...cash. On the other hand if this sounds appealing it will not disappoint and Art Brut will certainly be back with a follow up. Bang Bang Rock and Roll isn't the greatest debut album ever, but it's a good working platform

101CD.com: £7.99
Amazon Marketplace: £7.17  ... more

This years Reading festival didn't quite bring as many new bands to my attention as previous years, it did however introduce me to a couple of bands I really enjoyed live. One of those bands were Art Brut, but whether they would stand the test of post festival enjoyment was to be tested later. A few weeks after the festival I decided to try them out and bought their debut album, Bang Bang Rock And Roll as it seemed to be receiving pretty good reviews. At the time I thought that lead singer Eddie Argos, yes apparently that is his name, had quite a distinctive vocal style and this may make or break the album.

It was certainly a case of Eddie's vocals making or breaking the album and I have to say that for me he certainly made it. It will be a case of one or the other for just about everyone as although I find his style quite appealing I can see why others would find it annoying and off putting. This is mainly down to the fact that his vocals aren't 100% singing. Rather he has a unique combination of Bellowing and singing, which somehow he manages to make sound good. He brings something different to the music scene and as he sings in "Bad Weekend" it is hard to define which genre the band fall into.

The band have been spawned from the same music scene that brought us bands like The Libertines, Bloc Party and more recently Babyshambles. For me I would put the album firmly in the middle of the Indie Rock genre; however they do have quite a distinctive sound of their own. This is in part down to Argos's lyrics. At times you can't help but agree with some of his views and he seems to be bringing true to life lyrics back into music, even if he does sound like a smart arse at times. I think that the main appeal of the album is certainly the fact the lyrics are written by an ordinary bloke who is giving a voice to the early 20 something's. It's perhaps this degree of sympathising that has really hooked me on this album.

There are a lot of influences but I'd say bans like The Libertines have really had some sort of influence on Argos. There are a few different styles blended into the album and with rock, Indie and punk really coming to the fore they seem to be part of a new wave of bands emerging from London. Rather than stepping into the recording studio and sharpening up the albums sound the end result is quite raw. There is a real edge to the album that really helps to boost the appeal of Art Brut. The drums provide a real backbone to the bands sound and with the guitars blending in around them it starts to give them a sound of their own.

At times Argos comes across as quite pretentious, but I think it sounds more like someone who has a real believe in what he is doing. It's a case of Eddie and the rest of the band really feeling their music and making it something they have obviously enjoyed making. There are clear signs within each track that Eddie was a student when he put the band together but the witticisms and identifiable lines throughout their songs really show why there is a difference between them and other student bands. The believe in their music and an enjoyment of what they do makes it clear that this is the main reason they have managed to succeed.

The album really had a few tracks that really stood out for me. In fact it was the same songs that sounded so good stood in the middle of that tent at Reading festival. The albums opening track "Formed A Band" is probably my favourite on the album. The quick pace of the track, coupled with some incredibly clever lyrics make the song very appealing. Likewise a track about Argos's ex girlfriend "Emily Kane" keeps the album moving at a decent pace. Throughout the album his vocals and lyrical ability really make it quite an interesting album and even add some comical elements to the 12 tracked half hour album.

Of course the album isn't perfect and for a debut album it doesn't try to be. Although the raw feeling of the album really adds to its appeal there are moments of just about every track where I really felt it needed just a little touching up. The vocals are of course going to be an issue for quite a few and although I do quite enjoy Argos's style I can see why they would put a lot of people off. Finally there is the albums' closing track. "18000 Lira", it sounds just like an album filler. It's quite a short track and comes across as a track that was just added to make it a 12 track album. It would make a decent B side but as a closing track on a debut album it doesn't quite work.

Overall it is a decent debut album from Art Brut. There are a lot more positives than negatives on the album and Art Brut certainly have provided a good basis for any future work. There is feeling that they are part of a new musical scene, providing a view of the world from the early 20 something generation. This is obviously part of the reason they appeal to me as there are quite identifiable features about each of their tracks. If however you aren't sure whether you'll enjoy them or if Argos's vocals might put you off then I would seriously recommend trying to listen to them before parting with your cash. On the other hand if this sounds appealing it will not disappoint and Art Brut will certainly be back with a follow up. Bang Bang Rock and Roll isn't the greatest debut album ever, but it's a good working platform

101CD.com: £7.99
Amazon Marketplace: £7.17 

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