Album Review: February's Top Of The Pops

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February saw Los Campesinos! smash all Valentine's Day celebrations to pieces, with 'Romance Is Boring'. After a slow start to the year, the releases are starting to flow. Here's what NME-Europe had to say...

Vampire Weekend: 'Contra' (rating 7/10)
It's hard to make up your mind on this one. Sometimes, it sounds great, yet others it's annoying. However, on the whole 'Contra' appears to be a step forward. Tracks like opener 'Horchata', the happy-go-lucky 'Holiday' or the frenetic 'Cousins' (see video below) are all decent ear candy and make good the self-proclaimed "Upper West Side Soweto" sound. (Read more).

Los Campesinos!: 'Romance Is Boring' (rating 7/10)
Don't expect finesse on this album, because it is devoid of any  - "...feels like the build up takes forever, but you never touch my cock" on 'Straight In At 101' pretty much sums up the general sexually charged atmosphere. (Read more).




We also had a listen to...

Yeasayer: 'Odd Blood' (rating 6/10)
Second album from this Brooklyn four piece. A diverse album, although a little disjointed at times.

Massive Attack: 'Heligoland' (rating 7/10)
More classic trip-hop from Massive Attack on their first release since 2003 (Danny The Dog OST excluded). Prepare yourself for an exhilarating finale after a sluggish start.

NC

Have a listen for yourselves....

Also available on Spotify.


Read previous monthly summaries.

Album Review: Los Campesinos!

Los Campesinos!: 'Romance Is Boring' (Arts & Crafts)

1. In Medias Res
2. There Are Listed Buildings
3. Romance Is Boring
4. We've Got Your Back (Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #2)
5. Plan A
6. 200 - 102
7. Straight In At 101
8. Who Fell Asleep In
9. I Warned You: Do Not Make An Enemy Of Me
10. Heart Swells/100-1
11. I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know
12. A Heat Rash In The Shape Of The Show Me State; Or, Letters From Me To Charlotte
13. The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future
14. This Is A Flag. There Is No Wind
15. Coda: A Burn Scar In The Shape Of The Sooner State


Just in time for the annual Valentine's Day massacre, welsh 7 piece Los Campesinos! present their third LP in a little over 18 months, the anti-thesis to all things luvvy-duvvy. 'Romance Is Boring' is as frantic as the previous releases - 15 tracks spanning little more than 48 minutes - and confirms the group's panache for depicting everyday occurrences in the most entertaining of musical lights.

'There Are Listed Buildings' lulls us into a false sense of security. Don't expect finesse on this album, because it is devoid of any  - "...feels like the build up takes forever, but you never touch my cock" on 'Straight In At 101' pretty much sums up the general sexually charged atmosphere. At times, it's a bit like listening to a musical version of "The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 and 3/4" (remember that?), but for all it's brashness, there's something bizarrely catchy, almost addictive to 'Romance Is Boring'.

There's not much else to add. The review as direct and blunt as many of Los Campesinos!' tracks. They show no signs of maturity on this album, but that would boring, wouldn't it?

NME-Europe rating: 7/10
Top Track: 'Straight In At 101' 

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Last 5 NME-Europe reviews:
Delphic: 'Acolyte'
The xx: 'XX'
Editors: 'In This Light And On This Evening'
P.A. Meirelles: 'UBM/MBU (2005-2008)'
Overspill Poets: 'Thompson Falls'

Read all NME-Europe reviews