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indie-snob>+!#
monday at the hug & pint by arab strap
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9 "Monday at the Hug & Pint" by Arab Strap Matador Records At one point, I thought the American music scene was doomed. All we were churning out were glammed-up pop stars who really weren't all that attractive. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, started throwing these amazing bands at us, and we barely turned to look. It was at this point in my life when I discovered Arab Strap, a lo-fi bedroom pop band coming out of Glasgow, with their last full-legth: "The Red Thread." While I'll admit that "The Red Thread" was a tad unaccessable (the vocals are barely audible at times), to listen to that on a rainy, gray afternoon or a blustry, dark night was pure bliss. Expecting the same with this album, I was so surprised to hear a new sound for the duo (now expanded to a full band). The first song off the album, "The Shy Retirer," actually had... a beat! Wow! Not only that, but it's an amazing song! I think one of the best thing about Arab Strap, both old and new, is the lyricism they bring to the sometimes dry scene of lo-fi music. (In fact, "The Red Thread" had so many whisperings about sex that I swear it could have made me blush had I been able to hear it.) "But when I feel like this, I know it doesn't matter / when I eat when I'm not hungry, I'm sure I feel my face get fatter,"singer Aidan Moffet says, cellos and strings blaring in the background. It's this sense of tranquility combined with the full-blown sound that has reinvented Arab Strap... and thus perhaps saved them. Continuing through the album, Arab Strap continues their new sound in other songs like "Fucking Little Bastards," "Act of War," "Serenade," and another personal favorite, "Flirt." I was just so happy to hear a more traditional Arab Strap acoustic guitar sound added to the effects of a full orchestral band. Thank god. Even the songs that remind me far more of Arab Strap's previous albums with lo-fi acoustic guitars have found rebirth through piano, drums and strings... found salvation if you will. Plus, the vocals have been turned up or been made clearer... and prettier. I may want to cry to "Who Named the Days?" Really. I may. It's just this slice of Americana mixed with a heaping helping of indie-pop and brit-pop. God bless the British. Did I mention bag pipes? Because they're there at times. I'm really convinced that this is an amazing album. But, if I wasn't convinced, who did I just find as guests on this album? Mike Mogis (recognize this trend, yet?... Lullaby for the Working Class, Mayday, Saddle Creek producer) and Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos, Park Ave., Commander Venus). It's amazing how everything translates back to the Omaha indie scene for me. Get this album. And catch them on tour with Bright Eyes now. Decisively my #3 for the year right now. For fans of: Lullaby for the Working Class, Mayday, Bright Eyes, Wilco, Mogwai, Matt Pond PA, Talk Talk, Azure Ray, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Mojave 3 (Neil Halstead) and maybe... Hem. |