“In retrospect, I think I was subconsciously trying to start the cult that goes along with our cult band status.”
I bloody love Art Brut and the self-deprecating humour of the band’s leader, Eddie Argos. The above quote was relating to the superb track ‘Am I Normal?‘, which, as Argos reveals in the thoroughly entertaining sleeve notes here, roughly translates to “Do you feel the same as me? I hope that you do.’
Following on from the boxset that was released last year, And Yes, This Is My Singing Voice, this second volume concentrates on the remaining work released by the band over the past fifteen years, and what a collection it is, beginning with perhaps their piece de resistance, the Frank Black produced 2009 album Art Brut vs Satan. This was arguably the most entertaining record that Argos and co ever put out, featuring the irresistible ode to what he felt were the two most important things in life, ‘DC Comics And Chocolate Milkshake‘. And of course, the epic line in ‘Demons Out!‘ from whence the record’s title track came: “Record buying public, we hate them! This is Art Brut vs Satan!” It’s an album that survives copious replays without ever getting boring. With Argos at the helm, how could it?
If anything, Brilliant! Tragic is even more feral, our storied leader now often screaming the words in a way that echoes the glory years of the band’s new-found friend and producer Black, performing desk duties for the second album in a row. So tracks like the brilliantly titled ‘Martin Kemp Welch Five-A-Side Football Rules‘ are about as untamed as you can get and all the more loveable for it, while you have the more lascivious nature of Argos’s brain coming to the fore on ‘Sexy Sometimes‘, where he craves for his music to be played in the background as a couple get frisky, or the utterly insane ‘I Am The Psychic‘, which is arguably the most ferocious composition of the lot. It’s astonishing that the same person managed some lyrics as devastating as ‘Ice Hockey‘ (“Don’t cry, I finally escaped / Just pretend that I’m going into space“) but that is just one example of how varied Art Brut’s output is.
The uneducated, of course, would argue that “it’s just Eddie Argos talking and everything sounds the same,” but that would be to miss the point completely. Art Brut are like a modern day Blockheads, playing foil to their frontman’s considerable lyrical prowess. Sometimes the backing is gnarly and punkish, and other times, like Art Brut vs Satan‘s ‘Mysterious Bruises‘ for example, closer to the likes of Television, had they employed a jazzier bent. Yes, Eddie Argos is an Ian Dury for the post-millennial generation.
Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out! was a much later release, coming in 2018, and that, as well as several alternate or demo versions, makes up disc four here. The delightful single ‘She Kissed Me (And It Felt Like A Hit‘) is one of the most joyful numbers in the band’s canon, and, indeed, perhaps as a reflection of two kindred spirits finding each other in their hour of need – Alcopop! and Art Brut themselves – the record comes across as vibrant and jubilant.
Anyway, if you’re a fan, you’ll already be aware of all this, so more than likely, the discs that you’ll be most interested in are CD2 – Brutlegs And B-Sides (from Art Brut vs Satan), which includes a wondrous version of The Cure‘s ‘Catch‘ (and no, Argos doesn’t suddenly take on a melodic vocal a la Bob) and some spellbinding (is that even the right word for this band?) demo versions of the songs on its parent album. In the accompanying booklet, Argos points out that he can hear the buzz they had around that time, when he listens to these demos, and he’s right, It’s palpable – and CD5, perhaps the most interesting of all, with more of the same, but also their work as WASABI, which was basically Argos and co in collaboration with We Are Scientists, most notably their Traveling Wilburys cover ‘Handle With Care‘ the two bands combining perfectly, unexpectedly ariose. I’m particularly happy with that line actually, as ‘Unexpectedly Ariose‘ sounds rather like an Art Brut song title, I think.
Perhaps the most fitting epitaph for Art Brut comes in the middle of ‘Record Store Day‘ (a track which begins “Jack White’s got a lot to answer for“), when Argos asserts that “Art Brut do not make limited edition singles / We make TOO MANY!“
That said, I don’t think Eddie Argos could ever make too many records. Look at these classic songs scattered throughout this five disc boxset: ‘Unprofessional Wrestling‘, ‘Am I Normal?‘, ‘I Hope You’re Very Happy Together‘ and ‘Veronica Falls‘. That’s just a handful. These are ALL infinitely listenable songs. So if you previously dismissed Art Brut as one trick ponies, go away and listen to them properly this time. Their music is a million times better than you thought it was, and this? Well, this is one classy boxset.
