24/7 Rock Star Shit is the new album by Wakefield lads The Cribs. Their seventh studio album (if you don’t include best-of Payola) begins in the most Cribs was possible; a screech of guitar into an immediately catchy riff. The classic Jarman brother vocals on Give Good Time aren’t note perfect, but that isn’t why you listen to this band, they’re charming and pack a punk rock punch. Give Good Time could easily be off their self-titled debut, the distortion within the guitars sound super old school but the slick production brings it right back to 2017.
Year Of Hate was the first song from the album that fans got the chance to listen to which got a widely positive reaction, and the melodic guitar riff to open the track draws the listener in. The pulsating drums from Ross Jarman perfectly compliment the call and response from Ryan and Gary (guitar and bass respectively) in the verse. In Your Palace is more melodic and seems to be a follow on from 2015’s release For All My Sisters, the garage rock vibes and anthemic chorus make the track a one of the standouts on the album.
Dendrophobia is no doubt pure punk, vocals at times clash with the guitars but the high screeches are so charming and make for interesting listening. Sticks Not Twigs is a sweet acoustic ditty with the two brothers harmonising on the chorus but it’s Rainbow Ridge that is the highlight of the album. There are so many different elements in the song that are taken from so many of the different Cribs eras; the melodic vocals from Brazen Bull and Sisters, the distorted guitars from the first two releases, catchy chorus from Men’s Needs Women’s Needs Whatever. Furthermore, you can hear the possible Nirvana influenced guitar line in the chorus, which could be down to the producer of the album, Steve Albini- the man who produced Nirvana’s In Utero. The Cribs originally worked with Albini back in 2011 when they were in Chicago recording In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull but they held some of the songs back for this release.
Dead At The Wheel is another slower song, the production of the song is superb and the vocals again charismatic, even when slightly whispered. The track has a super trippy overriding sound to it and is hypnotising in parts. Album closer Broken Arrow has another classic metallic Cribs guitar line underneath the vocals. The screeched distorted guitar solo to finish the track diminishes to silence at the end making for an interesting end to the album.
Overall, this is another solid release from the self-proclaimed “world’s premier mid-fi band”, if you’re a Cribs fan you’ll be super pleased with the outcome of this new album, especially that it was recorded and released at such short notice. It’s great to see bands that have been working solidly for 15 years still make great music that has developed, yet still has the core elements from their origin. The originality of The Cribs will never die and the fact that they might never be in the mainstream (hence the possible tongue-in-cheek album title) hasn’t concerned them since the start but it would be great to see this album dominating in the charts over the next week.
We reviewed their triumphant arena homecoming show in May, check it out HERE
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