The Cribs - In the Belly of the Brazen Bull
After the brief addition of ex-The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr to the band on their last album,the Jarman brothers of The Cribs are back, minus Marr, with their fifth album, In the Belly of the Brazen Bull.
The record sees the trio explore a much more gritty sound. For the most part, the memorable, pop-inspired guitar riffs of songs like “Men’s Needs” are gone; replaced with a wall of distorted guitar similar to what you might hear from alt-rock bands of the early 90’s. This may have been a creative decision to give the album a more lo-fi feel, but the lack of a second guitarist seems to really stick out throughout the record. Lyrically, the album is more personal. This comes out on tracks like “I Should Have Helped” and tied tracks “Like a Gift Giver” and “Butterflies”. Ryan’s delivery is sincere and at times surprisingly delicate.
The change in direction on this album is a bit of a shock, but once you remove the up-beat indie-pop image you may have of the band, you can appreciate this grungy, lo-fi offering a whole lot more.
