- Label
- Wichita
- Release date
- 25th February 2008
- Genre
- Indie-pop
- Buy this album
- Order CD
Interestingly anarchic debut from boisterous indie newcomers
If you were to open a couple of music mags, note wherever the lead reviewers use their most enthusiastic superlatives, and then take the types of bands they're referring to, you'd be able to compile a list of "hot right now" bands which would include the indie symphonies of Arcade Fire, the knowing rock-outs of The Kills, and the dance elements of LCD Soundsystem et al. Now, imagine putting seven people in a room with a bunch of instruments and telling them to come up with something which incorporates them all. Hey presto - Los Campesinos!
This hotly-anticipated album is a bit of a mess, but an enjoyable one. Veering between shouty, stompy singalongs which pitch themselves between The Go! Team and any neon-wearing nu-rave pretenders (Sweet Dreams, Sweetcheeks), and string and glockenspiel-featuring, hypnotically repetitive punk-influenced songs (Knee deep At ATP, You! Me! Dancing!) all of which feature lyrics and titles so tongue-in-cheek as to be practically indecipherable, this album should win the band fans from plenty of camps. Whether or not they can prove their worth beyond the next couple of releases remains to be seen, though.
More to try: Arcade Fire: Funeral Mercury Rev: All Is Dream Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
