Arab Strap
“Monday at the Hug and Pint”
Matador Records
It must be dark in Aiden Moffet’s head.
Arab Strap, the finest musical export from Glasgow’s very
fine music scene (you heard me right, Belle and Sebastian), is back
with more of its trademark super-sad Sadcore on its fifth
full-length album.
In contrast with their generally sunnier Glasgowian brethren,
the boys of Arab Strap stick strictly to the darker side of the
road. Some have gone so far as to describe the band’s sound
as Belle and Sebastian, drunk, playing U2 covers.
While relying on its old formula of brooding lyrics on the evils
of romance matched with sparse but lovely guitar arrangements, the
songs on this album also benefit from a high level of production.
Many of the songs utilize synth drum beats to great effect, lending
a new-age edge to their post-folk songwriting.
The lyrics are insightful and blisteringly honest. Their
simplicity belies a subtle grasp of the complexities of
relationships: “Don’t get me wrong I’ve always
had plans for your lips and my lips. The first time I saw you I saw
all my future right between your hips,” Moffet sings in
“Serenade,” one of the highlights of the album.
So if you find yourself sitting in your room, drinking alone,
reading Rilke, pining over the one that got away, then pick up this
album ““ it’s the perfect companion for your
solitude.
-Dan Crossen