It's A Bit Complicated
by Art Brut
  • Record Label: Downtown
  • Release Date: Jun 19, 2007
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 26
  3. Negative: 1 out of 26

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  1. CharmlessMan
    Jun 20, 2007
    2
    This album sadly lacks the charm of the original, both musically and lyrically. On the musical front, the departure of original guitarist Chris Chinchilla has diminished the playfulness of the guitar riffs. Everything now sounds heavier and more overdone. Lyrically, much of the humor is either missing or too blatant and forced to be funny. Whilst the songs' themes would fit on the This album sadly lacks the charm of the original, both musically and lyrically. On the musical front, the departure of original guitarist Chris Chinchilla has diminished the playfulness of the guitar riffs. Everything now sounds heavier and more overdone. Lyrically, much of the humor is either missing or too blatant and forced to be funny. Whilst the songs' themes would fit on the debut, their treatment here is heavy-handed and cloying. Argos' insecurities, previously self-mocking, now seem all too serious, particularly on a track such as Jealous Guy, where he describes his frustration that his girlfriend may have had sex more often with previous boyfriends. Whilst we may sympathise with the remnants of a schoolboy crush, such as on Emily Kane, listening to a grown man describe his sexual insecurities (which also feature here on Nag*4. Likewise, two cloying and nostalgic songs about making mixtapes (Nag*4 and Sounds of Summer) do no add up to one My Little Brother. Argos' perspective on sex and relationships have been dealt with more interestingly by bands such as Pulp and Arab Strap. Oh and Art Brut are about as punk as this website.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. Rolling Stone
    70
    It all adds up to something lovably unpretentious – and pretty unique.
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  2. Playlouder
    90
    One trick pony's they may arguably be, but they've done the same trick twice and pulled it off.
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  3. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    Idiosyncratic yet entertaining guitar-based pop. [22 Jun 2007, p.69]
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