616 The Cribs - The New Fellas (2005)

 616 The Cribs - The New Fellas (2005)

Studio album - Garage



About the Act:

The Cribs are three brothers called Jarman, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. They formed in 2001, became successful, and are still going. For three years from 2008, they were joined by one Johnny Marr, formerly guitarist for The Smiths. That seems quite bizarre.

About the Album:

This was their second album, produced by Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice, who is also one of the many ex-members of Aztec Camera. On of the tracks (Haunted) was recorded on Scarborough Beach. The information I have doesn't say which one, but I have been on both. There are not many albums for which I can say I have been where some of it was recorded.

My History with this Album:

None

Review:

I have listened through this album twice. This is quite a common number for me when reviewing an album. There are some albums I only listen through once, for example albums I really dislike, albums I love and know well, and long compilation albums. These all usually have fairly easy-to-write reviews. Sometimes I listen to albums something like 2 and a half times - usually when I have been interrupted on one listen and decided to start again.

The first time I listened through I was doing something else - scanning photographic slides as it happened. I was listening but not very hard, and my overall impression was that it was unpolished and sometimes out of tune. I was not impressed. I almost didn't listen a second time.

But I did, this time on headphones (I often get a better engagement with the music on headphones), while washing up, and then while sorting plastic boxes. We have a cupboard-full of plastic boxes, and they were due the roughly annual  sort and cull. The second listen gave me a better impression. 

It is deliberately lo-fi music, not polished, very immediate. It's kind of a blend between punk and indie in that sense. Musically it's OK, I still would say sometimes out of tune (especially Haunted, the track recorded on Scarborough Beach), not tight. This has a certain charm to it, not one that I usually subscribe whole-heartedly to, but one many people might like. There are some unusual instrument choices at times, like what sounds like a small, almost toy organ at one point. 

The song writing is reasonable, in my opinion. I particularly liked "it was only love". 

And that's about it, I think. I got a better experience when I listened more closely. It's not really my sort of thing, but I found it to be acceptable.

6.7/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3PEPrOkqO3kuj9SvlE55DJ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5NOYXYmsy-9YPXsAwSXp9A6EjWXMyg12

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Fellas


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