In the Belly of the Brazen Bull
The UK band's Dave Fridmann- and Steve Albini-produced fifth album goes full-blown 1990s Buzz Bin. Fortunately, the Cribs write better hooks than C-level revivalists.
These are bleak times for the mid-Noughties’ bright young things: The Libertines are a spent force, Razorlight have collapsed under Jonny Borrell’s gargantuan ego, and the Kaiser Chiefs are more often treading water than predicting riots. Leeds-raised trio The Cribs are yet to rival the NME ubiquity of their contemporaries, but their sharp blasts of rugged indie rock – once bolstered by the addition of Johnny Marr – were a leap ahead of mid-weights like The Others.
Originally second division players in the indie league, The Cribs have managed to raise their game consistently and the last two albums showed true progression.
The Cribs 'In the Belly of the Brazen Bull' album review on Northern Transmissions.
The Cribs go all out for the noisy 90s indie-rock sound, and it suits them, but all sounds a bit too familiar, writes <strong>Rebecca Nicholson</strong>