It's a Bit Complicated for Art Brut

MySpace Page

These four tracks are (edit: WERE. Removed by request of Art Brut's management. On the bright side of things, someone from the UK has read our blog!) from Art Brut's upcoming album It's A Bit Complicated and have been leaked onto the interweb. All of the songs are excellent. The production on is cleaner - less raw but not too slicked up - and the lyrics are still as smart and funny as ever. My favorite track so far is "Pump Up The Volume," where Eddie Argos wonders if its poor form to interrupt smooching his lady in order to turn up a pop song on the radio.

If Bang Bang Rock and Roll (the album) is sung from the perspective of one main character, then these songs here show what happens when that character starts to grow up and finds that adult life is...well...a bit complicated (see "Post Soothing Out"). The songs still rock though, even with the keyboards getting a greater presence. These songs literally pick up where "Maternity Ward" ends, at least musically speaking. All in all, I'm very excited for the new record. Art Brut will be going on a brief stateside tour (including a stop for a sold-out show at Subterranean, here in Chicago) before the proper stateside release of It's A Bit Complicated , which is scheduled for June 25 on Downtown Records.

So while you can't listen to the new songs here anymore, you can go to the band's MySpace page and stream "Nag Nag Nag Nag," which is also from the new album and a fine song in it's own right.

And, since I want to contribute more to what is unofficially becoming YouTube week on MFR, here is the video for an old Art Brut favorite:



(Jonathan Graef)