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ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC

Essential New Music: The Cribs’ “24/7 Rock Star Shit”

Twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and younger brother Ross, operating as the Cribs, seem to relish doing things the hard way. When emerging in the oughties U.K. post-Libertines scene, they swam against the then-prevalent shambolic Merseybeat-meets-garage-punk sound to create a turbulent punk squall rooted in the more corrosive elements of ’80s/’90s U.S. indie rock: the atonal screech of Sonic Youth or Pussy Galore, the fuck-you propulsion and heart-on-sleeve songwriting of the Replacements, the bratty overdrive of Superchunk. So unique has been their ethos, they seemed to have influenced the stripped-down overdrive brief that second guitarist Johnny Marr has adopted in his solo career. Hence, it makes sense to hire Steve Albini to helm their seventh LP. With a snarl on their lips, drums set to bash and guitars red-lining all the way, snotty new Cribs anthems such as “Year Of Hate” and “Partisan” shine within Albini’s typical sonic vérité approach to recording.

Tim Stegall