Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring (2010)

New Wax


".. Just calm the fuck down!" screams Gareth Campesinos! in unison with his bandmates on "This Is A Flag. There Is No Wind." It's an ironic sentiment coming from the hyperactive Cardiff, Wales band Los Campesinos!, whose newest album Romance Is Boring was recently released via Toronto label Arts and Crafts. While the band still exhibits a wealth of energy on the new release, they seem more keen on letting the songs breathe rather than packing instruments into the arrangements. Don't worry, the band still flexes it's punk-rock infused pop on the breakneck "Plan A," but elsewhere they seem more measured and concise. Romance veers away from the brightness of their debut Hold On Now Youngster and focuses more on the hard-edged sound of 2008's We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. Gareth's pen is as scathing as ever and he shifts from serious subject matter to sarcastic witticisms at the drop of a dime. On the particularly venom-tongued "Straight In At 101," Gareth half sings/half yells: "I think we need more post-coital and less post-rock/ Feels like the build up takes forever but you never get me off." When Gareth's not poking fun at music genres, he's musing on a close friend's eating disorder. This unpredictability makes him an interesting lyricist. With Romance Is Boring, Los Campesinos! turns in their most mature effort, but this growth doesn't mark a letdown in brute energy. After all, a band so in tune with the ennui of folks in their early 20's should sound a little bit pissed off. -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
MP3: Los Campesinos! - The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future

Tags: Los Campesinos, Romance Is Boring