Art Brut
It's A Bit Complicated
Downtown Records
By Kevin Hakansson
The way that a lead singer’s voice and style intermingle with the sound of the musicians playing behind him (or her!) can often make or break the sound of the band. Sometimes it’s as if it seems that singer and band were a perfect marriage, while often the match just doesn’t quite do it. In the case of Art Brut, it doesn’t seem that vocalist Eddie Argos fits at all; yet somehow, his bizarre, ill-fitting delivery manages to come off as charming with his fellow band members on It’s a Bit Complicated.
Perhaps it’s unfair to say that Argos’ voice fits strangely with the remainder of Art Brut. In reality, Argos’ vocal delivery is just strange, period. The term “vocalist” is an appropriate moniker for Argos; what comes out of his mouth can hardly be called “singing.” It’s more of a stylish talking: ranting about friends, dating, music, and the balancing act that is life.
Backing Argos is a band that is clearly well ingrained in what modern indie-pop bands have the capability of doing. “Pump Up The Volume” gets listeners accustomed to Argos, but also the first of many simple yet subtly creative instrumental arrangements. The guitars of Ian Catskilkin are all over the place, his fingers pounding out complex chords all over the fretboard, and establishing a retro guitar tone that’s pretty consistent throughout the record.
“Direct Hit” has a chance to be just that. This energetic pseudo-dance tune boasts one of Argos’ catchiest, most interpretable sets of lyrics, accentuated by the scream-along chorus proclaiming the title of the song.
While the interplay between Argos and the rest of the band does tend to get a bit monotonous, it’s nonetheless consistently intriguing. Regardless of the mood that the instrumental section sets, Argos maintains an ‘aw shucks’ tone to his warble. From the triumphant “I Will Survive,” to the sullen “Blame It On The Trains,” to the relaxed “Sound of Summer,” Argos rarely wavers. Interestingly enough, the band and producer Dan Swift added some vocal harmonies to the mix on a couple songs, like the brazen third track, “St. Pauli.” What notes they’re supposed to be harmonizing, exactly, we’ll never know.
To say the least, Art Brut is unique. It’s a Bit Complicated is full of silly, catchy, borderline obnoxious pop songs that have certain stickiness to them, a staying power of sorts. Though they’re often lumped in with other English art-punk bands like Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, Argos gives the band a vocal dynamic rarely heard in music past, present, and odds are, future.
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