Art Brut

Here to remind us of our insatiable, adolescent appetite for music, Art Brut are back together.

What started as a break-up album and turned into an in-love record, Wham! Bang! Pow! Lets Rock Out! is a collection of post-punk, poppy bangers that recall the distinctive sound that burst out of the Berlin-based band back in 2005. Its been seven years since the groups last LP and sees Argos self-referential, sincere narrative shape into poignant reflections of encompassing a youthful heart in a world that perpetually forces us to grow up.

Argos was careful to live a life before attempting a new album. I moved to Berlin, I nearly died with Peritonitis. I was in hospital for a bit. I had a son; I had a relationship that broke up. I wrote a comic, a memoir, a musical and had a one man show, he says. I dont want to be that band who writes the sort of songs like I dont like touring; touring is really boring. I think we needed a rest so some stuff could happen to me, to fill me up.

Produced by award-winning folk musician Jim Moray, Wham! Bang! Pow! Lets Rock Out! Is Art Brut at their pop band best. Argos recorded his vocals in one or two takes, channelling the sporadic nature of his live performances while hand claps and ad-libbed jokes and howls produce a raw and authentic work. Morphing almost any mundane experience into a
hilariously candid anecdote whether its watching hipsters eat falafel on Good Morning Berlin, planning a better diet after a health scare on Hospital! or dodging a train ticket inspector on Schwarzfahrer Wham! Bang! Pow! Lets Rock Out! is testament to the frontmans unconventional approach to finding inspiration in just about anything.

Its not a game over, I got an extra life, I was born again, in a pure white light, Argos trills on album opener, Hooray!, sparking an exuberant return to an industry where, if were honest, Art Brut never really fit in. On Wham! Bang! Pow! Lets Rock Out!, Art Brut are creating anthems for outcasts.

With the departure of Jasper Future and Mikey Breyer, Art Brut are now made up of founding members Argos, Ian Catskilkin and Freddy Feedback while Toby Macfarlaine joins on guitar and Charlie Layton joins on drums. Ive known Charlie forever, Argos explains. Hes also the drummer for The Wedding Present but we always wanted to be in a band together since
we were kids. Now its been about 25 years of knowing each other, hes finally in our group. Toby plays bass for Graham Coxon normally, hes in the band cos hes an amazing guitar player and I love him. Ian found him and I looked at his twitter feed to see what he was about and he had posted A Day in the Life of Vivian Stanshall from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah band. I was like yeah perfect! hes in!

Argos describes Art Brut as a democracy, with the new line-up adding new ideas to the pot. Toby and Charlie both rock the fuck out which is what I like, he adds. Wham! Bang! Pow! Lets Rock Out! is a bit more back to basics Art Brut. Its sort of the record I was trying to make after the first record and we didnt quite succeed. I think Im more confident now and I know what I want. Not being mean about our other records but its a poppy punk record which is what I wanted to do. I think speaking is a more honest way of getting what I want