There I was, 2004, 16 years old with the world as my oyster. Unfortunatly I hate oysters, but I do love The Cribs, and 2004 was the year they're debut album blessed my grunge soaked ears.
Rough, ballsy, loud and at the same time, some of the most melodic anthems I had heard in a long, long time. If I had headphones on you could bet your houae it was The Cribs blaring through them with they're wakefield accents and melodic rain storm of noise. I had found "my band"*.
2005 came along. I was a year older, a year wiser and a year closer to my first legal guinness. The Cribs released "The New Fellas", and they certainly did sound new. The recordings had improved tenfold but without any loss of that rough sound I had so adored. They're lyrics ripped into the scene kids of tomorrow, the scene kids they predicted would come with this resurgence of british "indie" music. The song "Hey Scenesters" became a confused anthem. Scenesters sang it in full beleif they weren't what they were chanting about, "old skool" indie kids chanted it full well knowing they wern't, but the main thing is no matter what you were, you were there, singing it. That's what truely matters....you scenesters.
I was lucky enough to see them that year, in what I can only compare to landing on a desert island where good tunes are always playing, scantilly clad women are jumping up and down, and the beer flows cheap on special offer. The summer of '05 was a good summer indeed.
The Cribs started to snowball and became more and more popular, with their third album even breaking the top 20 at number 13.
These were my uni years. There was only two of them, me being a habitual waster I never finished my Music Journalism course, as you can probably tell, but I did see a lot of live music. No-one, and I mean no-one, compared to the atmosphere, excitement and intensity of a Cribs gig. The fan base grew and they matured. Soon the whole of England would hear the roar of the Jarmen Barmy Army, but the best was yet to come...
2009 brought almost heavenly news to my now permanantly damaged ears. The myth, the legend that is Johnny Marr joined The Cribs. He alone blueprinted british guitar based music for 20 years. Without him there would be no Stone Roses, no Blur and probably no Oasis and now he graced The Cribs with his holy presence.
So, how did their newest album "Ignore the Ignorant sound" ?
Well, you have to realise. For the best part of 20 years Johnny Marr hadn't done anything that is even nearly as riff-tastic as "The Queen is Dead" (circa 1986). Although he does indeed have a glistening CV inclduing Talking heads and Modest Mouse, that really balls against the wall guitar sound has been lacking...to say the least.
It however is rectified, within the opening seconds of "Ignore the Ignorant". The opening track "We Were Aborted" may has well have had a video of Johnny Marr smashing his guitar through a door and screaming "HERE'S JOHNNY".
Is this by any means a good thing for The Cribs?
In fact, recruiting a guitar legend isn?t necessarily the logical route for a band whose best moments to date have been based on head exloding, gum bleeding rawness and Ryan and twin brother Gary?s righteous vocal bile. Logical route? Perhaps not. Good move. most definatly!
As an adoring Cribs fan I have to say that this isn't their greatest work, but it is still a fantastic record. The whole album feels like its being dragged through a Sonic Youth gig clutching onto nothing but a handfull of flowers and a book of poetry, and strangley it works.
The highlight of the album has to be the Sonic Youth drenched "City of Bugs", which can only be described as an eerie drunkern stumble through flashing glowing hails of melodic feedback. Also "Stick to Yr' Guns" is a brilliant track, piecing together Marr's accomplished guitar work and Ryan Jarman's unbeleivably honest vocals, to make a simply beautiful record.
The Captain's final say in the matter is that all bands have to grow up one day and what better way to do it than with the man who blueprinted the music your playing 20 years ago.
The Captain gives it a solid 9 out of 10!
Rough, ballsy, loud and at the same time, some of the most melodic anthems I had heard in a long, long time. If I had headphones on you could bet your houae it was The Cribs blaring through them with they're wakefield accents and melodic rain storm of noise. I had found "my band"*.
2005 came along. I was a year older, a year wiser and a year closer to my first legal guinness. The Cribs released "The New Fellas", and they certainly did sound new. The recordings had improved tenfold but without any loss of that rough sound I had so adored. They're lyrics ripped into the scene kids of tomorrow, the scene kids they predicted would come with this resurgence of british "indie" music. The song "Hey Scenesters" became a confused anthem. Scenesters sang it in full beleif they weren't what they were chanting about, "old skool" indie kids chanted it full well knowing they wern't, but the main thing is no matter what you were, you were there, singing it. That's what truely matters....you scenesters.
I was lucky enough to see them that year, in what I can only compare to landing on a desert island where good tunes are always playing, scantilly clad women are jumping up and down, and the beer flows cheap on special offer. The summer of '05 was a good summer indeed.
The Cribs started to snowball and became more and more popular, with their third album even breaking the top 20 at number 13.
These were my uni years. There was only two of them, me being a habitual waster I never finished my Music Journalism course, as you can probably tell, but I did see a lot of live music. No-one, and I mean no-one, compared to the atmosphere, excitement and intensity of a Cribs gig. The fan base grew and they matured. Soon the whole of England would hear the roar of the Jarmen Barmy Army, but the best was yet to come...
2009 brought almost heavenly news to my now permanantly damaged ears. The myth, the legend that is Johnny Marr joined The Cribs. He alone blueprinted british guitar based music for 20 years. Without him there would be no Stone Roses, no Blur and probably no Oasis and now he graced The Cribs with his holy presence.
So, how did their newest album "Ignore the Ignorant sound" ?
Well, you have to realise. For the best part of 20 years Johnny Marr hadn't done anything that is even nearly as riff-tastic as "The Queen is Dead" (circa 1986). Although he does indeed have a glistening CV inclduing Talking heads and Modest Mouse, that really balls against the wall guitar sound has been lacking...to say the least.
It however is rectified, within the opening seconds of "Ignore the Ignorant". The opening track "We Were Aborted" may has well have had a video of Johnny Marr smashing his guitar through a door and screaming "HERE'S JOHNNY".
Is this by any means a good thing for The Cribs?
In fact, recruiting a guitar legend isn?t necessarily the logical route for a band whose best moments to date have been based on head exloding, gum bleeding rawness and Ryan and twin brother Gary?s righteous vocal bile. Logical route? Perhaps not. Good move. most definatly!
As an adoring Cribs fan I have to say that this isn't their greatest work, but it is still a fantastic record. The whole album feels like its being dragged through a Sonic Youth gig clutching onto nothing but a handfull of flowers and a book of poetry, and strangley it works.
The highlight of the album has to be the Sonic Youth drenched "City of Bugs", which can only be described as an eerie drunkern stumble through flashing glowing hails of melodic feedback. Also "Stick to Yr' Guns" is a brilliant track, piecing together Marr's accomplished guitar work and Ryan Jarman's unbeleivably honest vocals, to make a simply beautiful record.
The Captain's final say in the matter is that all bands have to grow up one day and what better way to do it than with the man who blueprinted the music your playing 20 years ago.
The Captain gives it a solid 9 out of 10!
