Andy (Probably Hasn't) Got Swine Flu, and Varsity Bits

That cough got worse. I have over-the-counter meds and bedrest now. It's an akward situation cause, when I leave the house, I feel terrible and start hacking up, but when I'm at home I feel fine like I'm wasting my time moping around. So I set off to the lab and the cycle renews. I hate diseases

Pandemic flu? Fuck that noise! They don't give tamiflu unless my fever reaches some insane temperature, so i'd better man up.

On a better note, that Mountain goats article got published in Varsity today. So je suis plus bon even if i'm actually not. Check it out in print, or just read on

The Life of the World To Come- The Mountain Goats (4AD)

 

With every Mountain Goats release there’s an unshakable fear that this could be the long overdue “difficult third”. Their seventeenth full-length, a concept album loosely based around the books of the Bible, is anything but. Frontman John Darnielle evokes sincerity and dashed optimism on this solid, if slightly slow burning, record. There’s almost a hint of sarcasm in “Romans 10:9″ as he echoes the words of St. Paul: “if you believe in your heart and confess with your lips, surely you will be saved one day...” The implied “...yeah right” is left unsung. Although “The Life...” is beautifully crafted, it lacks the urgency of “Heretic Heart” or the tenderness of “The Sunset Tree”. It does, however, avoid the major pitfall of the concept album- the tracks are good enough to stand up against Darnielle’s best songwriting. Is this the best Mountain Goats album? No. Is it in the top five? Yes. 

4 stars

Album Reviews- The Cribs, Let's Wrestle and explicitly not The Mountain Goats

Howdy y'all! I've been slaving over a hot keyboard (my laptop seems to have the fan out of an Apple III) writing a review of the new Mountain Goats release for Varsity. Obviously I can't show you that yet. Not until it get's rejected by the editor. But here's some others that are kicking about. One album you've probably heard of, and one you probably haven't. Enjoy, bitches and brats! Oh, and don't forget to listen to the show tomorrow!

The Cribs

Ignore the Ignorant (Wichita)

Fate has not been kind to The Cribs. In addition to being unfairly lumped under that cursed label of “yet another guitar band from the north”, they’ve thrown caution to the wind and recruited an actual member of The Smiths, as opposed to the more traditional Disciple of Mozz. Ignore the Ignorant is the start of a new direction for The Cribs with higher production values- a brave and, frankly, misguided move, leaving an album lacking the gritty lo-fi sound and raw aggression fans have come to expect. However, taken as isolated tracks, the album contains the band’s best songmanship to date. From aggressive opening “We Were Aborted” to the sublime “Cheat on Me”, Johnny Marr’s distinctive jangle sets a surprisingly refined backdrop throughout, showing a more restrained maturity than on previous releases. It’s just a shame The Cribs didn’t have 12 more tracks of youthful anger.  

Verdict- Buy, but only 4 tracks will end up on your iPod

******

Let’s Wrestle

In the Court of Wrestling, Let’s (Stolen)

If you’re seeking boisterous, low-fi indie rock steeped in grimy 80s pop-punk, the first full length by this London 3-piece hits the bullseye, splits the board in half and sneaks sips from your pint whilst you’re throwing your darts. The album lacks pretension- all too refreshing for guitar bands- and is a riotous mix of fuzzy twang and lyrics that can’t make up their mind on being stupid or superb. The band’s guitarist/singer looks a lot like Sid from Skins, and actually this album isn’t far off what would happen if that were true. Minimal and real in all the right ways, the musical equivalent of a can of Red Stripe- great fun with the lads, but isn’t going to impress the intelligentsia, who’d rather settle down with a bottle of Saint-Emilion and wax lyrical over Radiohead B-sides. Expect good things from their follow up.  

Verdict- Steal. They’ve probably nicked your hifi whilst you were reading this anyway