Art Brut - Art Brut vs. Satan (2009) [Cooking Vinyl] // Grade: C-

When Bang Bang Rock And Roll came out there was something fresh and witty about Art Brut’s painfully bratty brand of punk. It was so blatantly quirky and ironic that it came full circle to being downright clever. They were everything you wanted the Libertine’s to be but weren’t. It’s a real shame that all of that biting wit and sharp urgency seems to have started and ended with that album.

Even the presence of Frank Black behind the production booth can’t salvage this album from being yer another generic outing into Brit-Punk that tries too hard to sound witty and edgy then ever accomplishing it. Eddie Argos is so much better than this, but just doesn’t seem to care enough to get back on his game. If a snarky British accent being speak/spoken is enough of a gimmick to keep you entertained then by all means! But if you want a little substance behind it track down Art Brut’s first album because it looks like Satan’s got this band on the ropes.

- My Pal the Crook