BANG BANG ROCK & ROLL - ART BRUT
At last, Art Brut’s joyously sardonic “Bang Bang Rock & Roll” sees stateside release via the new Downtown imprint. Turning the sacred triumvirate of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll on its head, lead singer Eddie Argos uses a deadpan speak-sing to poke fun at everything from being too drunk to get the job done under the covers to B-side-obsessed, music-freak fashionistas and shallow aspirations. Though most of these songs mix late-’70s art-punk conventions with contemporary post-punk moves, sunny “wah-ooohs” occasionally brighten the landscape and help the band stand musically apart from peers like Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. The set is a highly enjoyable, often hilarious and sometimes rather shrewd critique of today’s hipster scene and pop culture in general. The only question is how long Art Brut can keep the joke running.Billboard
