Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Some albums are growers, some are distinctly average, and some aren't even worth mentioning. This one, however, feels like someone's filled a water balloon with pure amazing and hurled it straight between our eyes. Los Campesinos! brought us the most delicious fix of twee since the demise of Sarah Records with 'Hold On Now Youngster', so it's fair to say that 'We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed' has been anticipated with more excitement than a bunch of 10 year-olds at a High School Musical 3 premiere.
Opener 'Ways To Make It Through The Wall' is at once joyous and unsetlling. A handclap-abundant chorus accompanies the lyrics 'we are waiting here for catastrophe', while the last minute is a frantic amalgamation of melodic violins, loud cymbals and erratic guitars.
The rest of the record shows no signs of letting up. 'Miserabilia' combines innocent female vocals and xylophones with lyrics about naked breasts and touching yourself (ahem), while 'We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed' boasts an electronic introduction reminiscent of Broadcast. 'Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #1' features buzzing guitars and arguably the best lyrics of the album - "do you kiss your mummy's lips with that mouth?". In fact, we can confidently say that every track is wonderful in its own way.
The best tracks, though, are the aforementioned water balloon-effect bundles of pure pop genius. 'It's Never That Easy Though, Is It?' is an immediately relatable song delivered by lead singer Gareth with ample bitterness. He's still in love with his ex, you see, but he's trying to move on with a girl that doesn't return his calls. It's a tale of drunken dialling, jealousy and kissing on the dancefloor, and it's mind-blowingly catchy.
'We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed' shows real growth for a band who were singing about Livejournal entries and mixtapes only a year ago. Sure, they've not changed in any dramatic sense, but their lyrics are even more witty, their melodies are even more catchy and their delivery is even more meaningful. Seething vocal deliveries, lyrics dripping with sexual frustration and screams of "shout at the world cos the world doesn't love you!" also make this album genre-defying and unique. Twee is changing, and Los Campesinos! are getting better by the minute.
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