Since their first record, Hold On Now, Youngster, opens with the bombastic “Death to Los Campesinos!” and their follow up “EEP” We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed starts with the bouncy “Ways to Make it Through the Wall,” one would expect that with the first track on their new record, Romance is Boring, Los Campesinos! would similarly draw you in with the band’s addicting energy. Instead, “In Medias Res” starts slow and builds to a mid-tempo, layered conclusion reminiscent of label mates Broken Social Scene. It’s a feeling that makes you think the band has made a slower, “mature” record. It doesn’t last long though, as they burst into single “There Are Listed Buildings,” followed by the title track. The songs bounce and rock, the perfect meld of guitar hooks and keyboard punches that has already won the band an ardent following on both sides of the Atlantic.
That’s not to say that Los Campesinos! haven’t made their most mature work to date. Sure, the songs still burst at the seems with energy, but they’re controlled and, at times, starkly beautiful. Take “We’ve Got Your Back (Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #2),” a sequel to a similarly named track on We Are Beautiful that’s full of cathartic yells and anger, yet it ends with strings that compliment the early part of the song in an unexpected way. This melds right into the distorted, raucous “Plan A” that transitions into the mellow beginnings of the wobbly interlude “200-102″ before returning again to punk-infused hooks. The band manipulates tempo to an excellent degree, never letting the listener get settled before moving on. In that way, it’s reminiscent of Patti Smith’s seminal Horses, which moves from ballad to charging rock in nearly every song. Now, Romance is Boring is not quite Horses, but it shares the sensibility that aural diversity makes for a better listening experience.
Gareth Campesinos!, the lead singer, makes his way through each song with the same amount of fire all the way through. He spares no detail of travails of love, but it doesn’t come across as annoying or whiny. He’s equal parts angry, crushed, and earnest, and it’s lyrics like “I’d think I’d do it for love if it were not for the money,” from “There Are Listed Buildings,” that make him one of the most entertaining lyricists out there. Sexual frankness is nothing new (see: Liz Phair), but the brutal honesty Garth employs is unquestionably a dominant part of the record. The band is at their finest too, with no lack of energy, whether it be a jittery rocker or a slower, more calculated track. It’d be a disappointment if they weren’t though, given their fantastic live performances.
In the end, Romance is Boring is a great record that will hopefully get its due. I have a feeling it will be the kind of record that gets positive reviews, but doesn’t get the attention of another “Next Big Thing.” But I hope to be proven wrong. In a just a few releases, LC! have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. They’re not afraid to push themselves, and no record demonstrates that fact better than Romance is Boring which takes their signature sound and amps it up to a whole new level. As my iTunes transitioned alphabetically from Romance is Boring to the band’s first EP Sticking Fingers Into Sockets, I could hear the same frustration and exuberance, but without the edge and perfection featured on the newer record. Los Campesinos! have room to grow, all bands do, but they’ve proven yet again that they’re growing the right way.
Michael’s Score: 95
Jonah’s Score: 82
Tangled Up In Wires Grade: A
Michael
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