New Art Brut balances kitsch and convention
Published July 11, 2007
In 2005, Art Brut's debut album, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, pushed the limits of conventional music. The ridiculous five-piece British band offered startlingly upfront, anecdotal lyrics and low-key tunes while frontman Eddies Argos insisted, "this is my real singing voice."
Listener reaction, naturally, was confusion, quickly followed by joy.
The avant-garde pop troupe presented a mix of humor and humanity on its initial album, playfully devoting songs to sexual impotence, Argos' little brother discovering rock 'n' roll and the band's own formation (in the kickoff anthem "Formed a Band"). This provided some great fun — almost like an awkward, British Electric Six, just better.
But then comes the question: How the hell do you follow up that type of album? It ran close to gimmick and minced meanings with kitsch. Enter the band's answer and second album: the aptly titled It's a Bit Complicated.
The new album immediately reveals Art Brut's own awareness of its quandary and demonstrates a few shifts from its debut. Rather than the stripped-down ballads of Bang Bang, the new release saturates the music with hip instrumentals and a stronger pop sensibility. Listeners will have no doubt that a real band is backing up Argos, and this gives the work a nice sonic punch.
This doesn't always succeed, though. The guitar and drums drown out Argos' voice on "I Will Survive," and it sounds obnoxious.
Multiple songs, including "Sound of Summer," "Nag Nag Nag Nag," and "Post Soothing Out," also feature the same monotonous background crooning. Those few guys moaning "oohh, uhhh" in the background simply fail and should be axed. Luckily, their presence manages to be only a minor distraction.
A bigger change comes in the lyrics. Argos has grown up a little since the first album, and this immaturity shows in the topics he tackles. Virtually every song on Bang Bang was intentionally absurd and repetitive. Argos shouted, "Modern rock makes me want to rock out" 12 times in one song. That was fantastic.
Argos maintains the innocent and silly side to his lyrics, but he also expands these into the realm of traditional pop songs. This album deals with relationships and love, intermingling the serious and over-the-top.
Some songs focus on the gratifications of creating a mix tape, while others fixate on neurotic fears. The refrain of the "Pump Up the Volume" questions whether it's wrong to break from a kiss to turn up a pop song.
"People in love lie around and get fat," Argos muses in "People in Love." "I don't want us to end up like that."
While not as easily recognizable, some of the band's familiar elements remain. Bedroom fears pop up in "Jealous Guy," as Argos sings about tugging on sheets in his sleepless endeavors to outdo his girlfriend's ex. The first single, "Direct Hit," is a wonderful dance song about the importance of the dance floor and is possibly the best example of the band's old spirit energized with Complicated's new, polished touch.
Art Brut deserves credit for trying here. The band members successfully reinvent themselves in this album and create a promising base for future work. Although it lacks the exceptional voice of Bang Bang (ingenious pop engineered to seem like an effortless first draft), It's a Bit Complicated is still full of witty dance songs.
