Art Brut

Bang Bang Rock & Roll

ALCOPOP!/FIERCE PANDA Brut 33: fifteenth-anniversary reissue of indie ironists debut.

They may have lacked the artschool slickness of Franz Ferdinand or the angular angst of Bloc Party, but Art Brut had something their more successful mid-noughties peers lacked: a rapier-sharp sense of humour. ‘Haven’t read the NME in so long, don’t know what genre we belong!’ frontman Eddie Argos bawls in Bad Weekend, and their refusal to play by the indie rulebook ensures that their (remastered) debut still sounds as gloriously irreverent as it did when it was first released.

The subject matter may (deliberately) revolve around Adrian Mole-ish themes of teenage crushes (Emily Kane), sibling anxieties (My Little Brother) and sexual frustration (Rusted Guns Of Milan), but Argos’s deadpan vocals and a twin-guitar assault from Ian Catskillin and, erm, Chris Chinchilla ensures that these comedic new-wave nuggets are delivered with a satisfying crunch.

With a foreword from Art Brut über-fan Ezra Furman and a host of unreleased ‘Brutlegs’ available via download, this updated sound of the suburbs will delight both diehard Argosians and fans of Jilted John or The Members who missed out first time around. ■■■■■■■■■■