Ignore the Ignorant

The Cribs fully realizes its potentials

After the British indie-band The Cribs released its 2007 album Man Need's, Woman Need's, Whatever recorded with Alex Kapranos everybody spoke of it as of one of the best underground indie-rock representatives. There are always trademark noises and clanging in their music which are characteristic of this music direction. At the same time the distinct melodies, witty and often topical lyrics, vivid vocals and many other advantages attract the audience’s most careful attention to The Cribs making the collective a welcomed guest at various rock festivals. Although before the release of Man Need's, Woman Need's, Whatever the chart positions were leaving much to be desired, during the band’s popularity has much increased during the last two years. It was obvious that the guys (twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross) had some huge potentials and they have managed to realize them fully on their new, fourth album Ignore The Ignorant. No doubt the record is going to find itself among the best indie releases as a very pleasant surprise is expecting us on it, and that is evident from the first track’s very first sounds.

A smashing guitar record Ignore The Ignorant

The surprise is the change in The Cribs’ line-up: Johhny Marr, the former The Smiths guitarist has joined the band quite recently, and Ignore The Ignorant is the first album recorded with him. Though the band’s trademark underground sound is preserved on the tracks, this time around the angles are more smoothed, the noises appear more harmonious and the roughness seems to be absent at all. Therefore Ignore The Ignorant can be easily called a smashing guitar record – you will find the confirmation of that already on the opener We Were Aborted: Marr’s splendid riffs make it clear that something new and breathtaking is expecting us ahead. Yet one should not believe that the guys would not be able to make great compositions without Johnny Marr – a melodious first single Cheat On Me proves to be a perfect ground to demonstrate both the rest of the musicians’ playing and the vocalist’s contagious performance. One of the most positive and joyful songs on the album is We Share The Same Skies, its sing-along chorus is sure to make you feel better. The track City Of Bugs is remarkable for an unusual tune, the lyrics with the elements of self-irony and the sounding a bit reminiscent of Sonic Youth’s works, while one of the softest and even vulnerable songs here is Last Year's Snow. It is worth while paying a special attention to the album’s title track – this complicated combination of amazing drums, melodious and tough guitars and the lyrics that are far from stupid is definitely one of its highlights. Another suchlike composition is Victim Of Mass Production – almost a danceable rhythm and topical lyrics expresses everything the guys think of the modern young people’s life.

Every nuance is carried out perfectly

If you are interested how the creative growth is happening within one band’s history, then the history of The Cribs is just what you need to study. Each of its previous albums can be called a transfer from one development stage to the other, more perfect one. The guys started as punk-rockers and today have grown into a successful indie band. It goes without saying that Ignore The Ignorant has collected all the best that the guys have learned in 5 years of the band’s existence. The members of The Cribs’ songwriting talent obviously never lets them down but they always find something in their sound that can be changed to the better and the guests from the other, more experienced teams, help them in that. Thus the fact is that Johnny Marr has turned out to be in the right time and in the right place – the Jarman brothers have already reached such a level when they need an expert advisor. Therefore, if you felt that the guys were either overplaying or, on the contrary, lacking something while listening to The Cribs’ previous discs then Ignore The Ignorant will definitely not disappoint you in this respect as every nuance on it is carried out perfectly.