Bang Bang Rock & Roll
by Art Brut
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Spin
    83
    These Brits deconstruct bombast via bombastic guitar riffs. [Jun 2005, p.108]
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  2. cokemachineglow
    76
    It all adds up to blatantly catchy, deceptively simple wannabe-clever, can’t-help-but-be-cheeky art-punk.
  3. Mojo
    80
    Every generation needs an Art Brut. [Jun 2005, p.100]
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  5. Playlouder
    100
    'Bang Bang Rock & Roll' is as clever as it is funny as it is entertaining. It's the most original independent album in years.
  6. Stylus Magazine
    91
    It doesn’t matter how well you can thrash or shred if it doesn’t sound good, and rarely does a section of Bang Bang Rock and Roll sound as if it wasn’t well thought-out and created with the intent to entertain.
  7. Uncut
    80
    Adopting Franz Ferdinand's arty edginess and the raw energy of the Pistols, Art Brut tilt at everything from the ephemeral nature of popular culture to erectile dysfunction. [Jun 2005, p.100]
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  8. Drowned In Sound
    90
    It's astounding that AB can reel off so many downright enjoyable songs that it almost hurts.
  9. Pitchfork
    89
    It's tempting to think of Art Brut as the foreign replacement for the catchy/clever observances Weezer used to traffic.
  10. Tiny Mix Tapes
    90
    It’s surprisingly comforting to hear a band like this come along and put everything in perspective, making you fall in love with music relating to your life, instead of becoming so grandiose and impersonal as most music has in recent years.
  11. New Musical Express (NME)
    70
    This is both a fine and fun album. [21 May 2005, p.65]
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  12. ShakingThrough.net
    70
    Frenzied throwaways like “Modern Art” and vapid observations like “popular culture no longer applies to me,” from “Bad Weekend,” keep Bang Bang Rock and Roll from attaining that rarified feel of unveiling something truly special.
  13. Lost At Sea
    80
    While there isn't much variation in instrumentation or sound, the impeccable, thought-provoking lyrics more than make up for it.
  14. Billboard
    70
    Though its novelty diminishes more with each listen (with the first being the freshest, most energetic romp of them all), "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" still stubbornly continues to amuse.
  15. Delusions of Adequacy
    80
    It's a bit of an acquired taste, but at record's end, you'll be extremely satisfied.
  16. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    91
    This is the stuff of one-shot art-punk.
  17. Blender
    80
    At their most thrilling, they fuse the spiky cool of Elastica with the witty self-consciousness of LCD Soundsystem. [Sep 2005, p.131]
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  18. PopMatters
    70
    Bang Bang Rock and Roll is still the most welcome, here's-mud-in-yer-eye debut since The Libertines' Up the Bracket.
  19. Prefix Magazine
    80
    The members of Art Brut manage to infuse humor without pushing it too far. Or maybe they do push it too far, and that's why it feels more important.
  20. AllMusic
    90
    Though it runs out of steam slightly (at least in comparison to the pop art brilliance of the band's best songs) on its second half, Bang Bang Rock & Roll is a terrific debut, and Art Brut is smart, catchy, and fun.
  21. Alternative Press
    100
    Depending on your worldview, Art Brut are either the most whimsical folks in Britrock or the most sardonic bastards you've ever worshiped via air guitar. [Jul 2006, p.186]
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  22. Under The Radar
    70
    And yet, for all the music’s grand gestures (circus-style rhythms, stops and starts, laments of an emotional world come crashing down), this is a world of minutiae, observations never far from the poet’s reckoning [#14]
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  23. Trouser Press
    80
    The gap between expectations and delivery, the contrast of emotions that go into real life as opposed to pop fantasy, makes this brief but satisfying album a pointed delight.
  24. Sputnikmusic
    70
    It's like the debut, but slightly different, definitely better.

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best Album of 2006
52
#52 Most Discussed Album of 2006

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 82 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 82
  3. Negative: 12 out of 82
  1. colbag
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    A strong, exciting, varied debut which has sadly overshadowed most of their work since. Art Brut's first album still sounds as exciting todayA strong, exciting, varied debut which has sadly overshadowed most of their work since. Art Brut's first album still sounds as exciting today as it did when I first heard it. They were the best band in Britain in 2005 and this album deserves more recognition.… Full Review »
  2. Marc
    Aug 4, 2008
    10
    Most of you people are crazy. This is top-shelf stuff.
  3. EricC
    Nov 26, 2007
    9
    I can't believe there's a band making music like this. But I'm ecstatic that they are. Some of the bluntest music you'll I can't believe there's a band making music like this. But I'm ecstatic that they are. Some of the bluntest music you'll ever hear (you'll quickly realize this in the first track, which simply celebrates the fact that they formed a band). It may not stick with you too long, but for those first few listens, it's an experience you won't be finding anywhere else.… Full Review »
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