Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY; The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia, Cana.
Another band in the long line of British post-punk revivalists, the Cribs join contemporaries like Franz Ferdinand, the Futureheads, and the Kaiser Chiefs in the celebration of choppy, danceable rhythms, and guitars splayed at right angles, all powered by a serious blast of energy and melody. The Cribs major-label debut, MEN'S NEEDS, WOMEN'S NEEDS, WHATEVER (2007), mines this territory effectively, and, while the style may be somewhat played out, the band compensates by turning in a batch of excellent, absurdly catchy tunes that are by turns anthemic ("Our Bovine Public") and streamlined ("I've Tried Everything"). Franz Ferdinand producer Alex Kapranos gives the album its defining sound, wrapping up a pleasurable package of pure post-punk fun.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.70) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]heir melodies unfold over time....Finally, the Cribs deliver the tour de force they had in them..."
Alternative Press (p.168) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[They] craft fun, skinny slacker-punk anthems....[They] infuse their wonderfully titled third album with intriguing departures and a hearty misanthropic streak..."
