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100

The Guardian

Full of the kind of bathetic genius English pop used to excel in, Art Brut are life-affirming - and are worth 500 of almost every other new guitar band.

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Playlouder

One trick pony's they may arguably be, but they've done the same trick twice and pulled it off.

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Los Angeles Times

As good as much of the new British rock can be, it is experiencing a creeping seriousness these days. "It's a Bit Complicated" is a welcome corrective.

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Stylus Magazine

The big difference behind the two albums’ superficial sonic similarities lies in the direction of this one’s gaze: panoramic, rather than immediately ahead. Whereas Bang Bang Rock and Roll was drunk, It’s a Bit Complicated is sober enough to think about being drunk.

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New Musical Express

Unlike their debut's thrilling-but-ramshackle garage rock, this time round the words are harnessed to the kind of big, bold tunes that will lodge the five-piece in the mainstream consciousness.

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Spin

Complicated shows a real grasp of musical history. [Jul 2007, p.99]

Urb

Any notions of the dreaded sophomore slump disappear seconds into their new album It’s a Bit Complicated.

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All Music Guide

It's a Bit Complicated proves that Art Brut are masters of writing pop songs about loving pop songs passionately.

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Under The Radar

The music here lacks some of the high spots of "Bang Bang," especially the ecstatic rises-and-falls found int he arragement of 'Good Weekend' but it's consistently hard-driving, dancy and punky--withoutbeing dancepunky. [Summer 2007, p.78]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

With Argos still writing gems and the band stepping up musically, Complicated should be as irresistible as its predecessor. For newcomers, it may be. For fans, it's still enjoyable, but familiar.

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Entertainment Weekly

Idiosyncratic yet entertaining guitar-based pop. [22 Jun 2007, p.69]

Pitchfork

By only gently nudging the musical formula on It's a Bit Complicated, Art Brut have succeeded in crafting a satisfying half-mature sequel, but may have only delayed, rather than thwarted, the sophomore jinx.

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PopMatters

It’s a Bit Complicated doesn’t quite live up to the thrill of [the] debut, but it’s still just as good as its predecessor.

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Blender

This follow-up just isn't as lovable. [Jul 2007, p.110]

Hartford Courant

It's really not that complicated at all - it's just good fun.

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Drowned In Sound

Art Brut manage to retain a frenetic brilliance.

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Rolling Stone

It all adds up to something lovably unpretentious – and pretty unique.

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cokemachineglow

The lowdown: it sounds pretty much the same as "Bang Bang," but not as good. It's not that the record is "bad"--it isn't--but that it, like its title suggests, is less brash, less fuck-all incautious about its rocking.

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Slant Magazine

The band's arrangements show a more robust sense of melody than they did on their debut.

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Prefix Magazine

More so than the debut's, these songs fare like standup comedy on repeated listens: Once the punch lines are spoiled, who wants to listen to a joke again?

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Village Voice

Here and there, Complicated sets up some promising scenarios—worrying about a platonic friend's reaction to a mix tape, or trying to initiate sex for the sake of outdoing a girlfriend's exes—but they never pan out.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 22 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Dan B. gave it a5:
Who is this guy, Rex Harrison? He speak-sings! That said, People In Love is amazing. I can't stand it anymore, but only because I listened to it about 500 times in a row.

Brendan D. gave it an8:
Art Brut is Gen-Y's Ramones. Doubt me? Listen to their first record. "Formed a Band" is the same kind of mindf*ck of a thumping rock song, bursting out of the speakers the way that "Blitzkrieg Bop" did in 1976. "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" is echoed (and pulled to full fruition) in "Good Weekend." Art Brut's first record was such a wonderful listen that, much like "Leave Home" was for the Ramones, "It's A Bit Complicated" was bound to be a letdown. And yes, it is, in comparison to "Bang Bang Rock & Roll." But there's a lot of growth here. The backing harmonies and doo-wops have come out of the closet (so to speak), providing subtle vocal textures over which Eddie Argos's subversively sincere vocals raise the bar for deadpan, self-mocking speak-singing (Argos, I argue, has more in common with Bob Dylan than Joey Ramone, but I suppose that's debatable). "It's a Bit Complicated" certainly isn't the masterpiece that "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" was, but it's damned good. And if these guys are truly the Neo-Ramones, the best is yet to come -- remember, "Rocket to Russia" was the Ramones' THIRD record.

Sean D gave it a6:
Definitely not as good as the first but its not without its merits. lyrics are still gold, music is now stale

Chris T gave it an8:
This shit fucking rocks, it's straight punk, only thing is the vocalist happens to be a wise ass, but that's not a bad thing, once you get to know the songs and get baked, that record is awesome. I really don't know what people were expecting, but this is just a solid sophmore album, and to all the critics who didn't give this record rep, you are jealous jealous jealous jealos.

Andrew T gave it an8:
Cool album, would not be without it.

Todd W. gave it a5:
Where the first album was both musically fresh and lyrically hilarious, this album seems a bit...been there, done that. Instead of a must-listen in the heady glow of discovery, this album is more of a brown bag, dark room, close the curtains affair. You don't want to to tell your friends, who thought the first album was great and rocked side-by-side with you at their live shows, how disappointed you are in their second offering, so you'll try desperately to keep it to yourself that you actually paid good money for another round of less-than-the-same.

David A. gave it an8:
On first listen, I was sadly disappointed. I was such a fan of the first's satricial bravado, the rawness of the music. This one sounded just less than. However, on repeated listens, songs like direct hit and post soothing out have left a real impression that this band was more than a one trick pony.

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