Yay Ted! Did I already give away my enjoyment of this album? I was scared of what ‘The Brutalist Bricks’ might behold, because 2 albums ago I fell in love with Ted Leo due to his album ‘Shake The Sheets’. Then in 2007 he released ‘Living With The Living’ which I just couldn’t warm up to. Whereas every song on ‘Shake The Sheets’ either had super catchy hooks or rocked the fuck out or both, ‘Living With The Living’ just kind of existed, kind of OK, nothing special. Maybe overly-political too? (and I should say that I’m on his side)
This album is wonderful!… the catchy and fast indie-rock/punk rifts, smart lyrics, even the simplistic album art and name, it all goes together perfectly. Please listen to a song, and I will continue below.
That’s good stuff. Packed full of energy, great guitar work, vocals and lyric creation. And what I love about Ted Leo’s songwriting is that you never know where the “bridge” is going to lead you, a chorus, or totally unknown direction? Usually the latter. He always catches me off-guard, and I like that.
This album is packed full of energy, angst, emotion and all-around catchy songs at about 3 minutes on average. The politics are still here, they’re just a bit more subtle than the last album. I have to say his singing is top notch, on many songs he’s reaching so high he’s almost falsetto, especially on tracks like “Woke Up Near Chelsea”. Just fabulous. However, at the same time ‘Tuberculoids Arrive In Hop’ surprised me because it sounded like a slow track from The Wrens’ ‘The Meadowlands’. If you are looking to get into Ted Leo, this album or ‘Shake The Sheets’ is a great choice. I can also say they put on a great live show, so don’t miss if they come to your town.
A side note, I bought this album in LP form directly from Matador with a digital download. That my friends is the future. 4.25/5
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