The Cribs – In the Belly of the Brazen Bull (Wichita)

Following the departure of Johnny Marr, the Cribs return to their original trio format for the intriguingly-titled In the Belly of the Brazen Bull. Working with producers Dave Fridmann and Steve Albini, the Jarman brothers crank the guitars and hooks, while still folding in enough texture to give the tracks depth. Sitting comfortably between noisy U.S. indie rock and the British postpunk revival, the Cribs don’t hold back, kicking out guitar-saturated rockers like “Chi-Town” and “Jaded Youth” as easily as fractured anthems like “Glitters Like Gold” and “Confident Men,” letting the acoustic “I Should Have Helped” cleanse the pallet before next blast. Showing no sign of relaxed ambition, the band ends the record with a four-song suite, including the vibrant arena rocker “Stalagmites,” the flute/Mellotron ballad “Like a Gift Giver,” the soaring pop song “Butterflies” and the lighter-waving “Arena Rock Encore with Full Cast.” No one’s likely to argue that the trio is blazing new trails here, but the Cribs easily master the sound of Big Rock Music with strong songwriting and instrumental facility, and they sound like they’re having a great time doing it.

http://www.wichita-recordings.com