2018 Latecomers: Eddie's Back... And Nobody Told Me

This is the time of year when I always end up discovering new records that would have ended up in my Best Of the previous year had I heard them in time. A couple of weeks back, I was lamenting the fact that not much indie music really hit home for me in 2018... and then a few days after that, I found out that one of my favourite true indie bands had released a new album last November and I hadn't heard a thing about it.

Art Brut, for those who've never heard them, are a bit like The Fall if Mark E. Smith had been replaced by Adrian Mole. Lead singer & songwriter Eddie Argos answers the question "What if Will from The Inbetweeners had formed Half Man Half Biscuit?" Very funny, extremely self aware, a bit of a lovable loser... with with a undying love of Top of the Pops and all that it meant to us. He knows he'll never be a real pop star though... and that tragic irony is why we love him. It's also perfectly expressed on the track Kultfigur...

Cult figure?

Don't snigger.

It's not about making the audience bigger.

We've got a lead singer

Doesn't really sing

Lives off his paintings

Got a flat in Berlin...

Last night I dreamt

We won the Mercury Music Prize

Our parents were proud

(But a little surprised.)

Now the thing is, Art Brut have been away for a while. Almost 8 years, in fact. And when I heard they were back, I was both thrilled and a little wary. How many bands come back after 8 years with an album as good anything they've ever released? Not many. How many sound just the same as they always did, even though they're now in their 40s? (Especially tricky if your act involves sounding like a geeky 14 year old.) 

It's with some relief then that I can confidently say... if you liked Art Brut back then, you'll still like them now. (And if you didn't care for them, you never will.) Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out! is a very entertaining collection of songs, full of character, joy and witty pop-culture gags. Plus some great tunes too. 

Songs about drinking so much you end up in Hospital...

They tried to make me go to Rehab

And I said...

That's probably a very good idea!

Songs about not cheating on your girlfriend and wishing you had... (while also referencing short-lived indie band Veronica Falls)...

We were waiting for something to happen

Just like Veronica Falls

But we were more like Del Amitri

And nothing happened...

Nothing happened at all!

And songs about having a one night stand and then waking up the following morning to an Awkward Breakfast...

Last night

You were being rude with me

Now we're eating

Bowls of muesli!

Welcome back, Eddie. Now never go away again.