Fans of The Cribs rejoiced when For All My Sisters was confirmed and track ‘An Ivory Hand’ was teased online back in January. They expected to be impressed, and that they were – the track is assertive, the chorus is cathartic and, as the band themselves said on their Facebook page, the sound is “big fuzzy pop”. It was a promising sign of what now can be seen as an inspired record in its entirety.
The album hits the ground running with ‘Finally Free’ which has a throbbing intro and runs with an energy that doesn’t dissipate until the album has finished. The hypnotic repetition of “it’s what, it’s what…” makes it the first in a set of energetic songs that create a lively atmosphere. There aren’t any filler tracks, and although ‘Pacific Time’ and ‘Simple Story’ are melancholic, their subtly is welcomed amongst the livelier songs.
During the lead up to the release of For All My Sisters, the band spoke openly about how they wanted to make their hooks as catchy as possible, and ‘Different Angle’ and ‘Burning for No One’ are great examples of this. Both songs are wonderfully worded, with emblazoned memorable riffs. These tracks especially are for those currently suffering from a Franz Ferdinand shaped hole in their lives.
In essence, this new album shows that The Cribs, as they have done time and again during their thirteen years in the game, just want to produce infectiously good songs that keep listeners coming back. They are continuing to prove that combining talented siblings (the brothers, contrary to the title, don’t have any sisters) is a winning formula, and that some of the best guitar bands the country has to offer are born out of Yorkshire.
