Review of Art Brut's CD "Formed A Band"

Art Brut: Formed A Band

Every since I first heard Formed A Band on Steve Lamacq's 6 Music show last month - and every week thereafter as it became - I'd been hankering to get my hands on it. And now I have it, a lovely piece of 7" vinyl. The song is stupidly simple, the lyrics venture no further than "Formed a band / we formed a band / look at us / we formed a band" - except perhaps in the spoken word moments where we are enlightened further to the Art Brut manifesto: "It's not rock'n'roll / and it's not irony / we're just talking to the kids". Indeed. It gives the listener a kick, a buzz, that single of the year feel; to me it gave the same spine chilling tingle as when I first heard Hot Hot Heat's "Bandages" or The Thermals' "No Culture Icons". Memorable, and simple, not too unlike Wire, and you can't go far wrong with a single this good.

• www.artbrut.org.uk

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