The Cribs

The Cribs are a UK trio comprising the Jarman brothers, a sibling team that have been performing together since 1989 and astonishingly, have barely left their teens. With such experience behind them, they should be musical phenoms, but they aren’t and surprisingly, that works in their favour. Their self-titled debut is a delectable piece of indie gutter pop because of its simplicity and sloppiness. Some moments sound like rehearsal was never in the books, but that is part of their charm. Cut from the same cloth as acts like the Libertines and Razorlight, they have a knack for writing basic melodies with the capacity to dig their way into your memory and never leave. Case in point is "Another Number,” which brandishes the most elementary guitar riff that ever lived, some fabulous tandem vocals and a few "badda-badada” chants that will have you suffering from separation anxiety once it ends before three minutes. The tag team vocals by Ryan and Gary are close enough that changeovers are barely recognisable, except for the latter’s sometime tendency to adopt Calvin Johnson’s croak. Championed and assisted (on "Tri’Elle”) by flamboyant showman Bobby Conn, the Cribs have recorded a tasty first record that isn’t perfect (see "Third Outing,” the bastard son of Sonic Youth’s worst moments), but shines because of its ability to welcome synchronicity through mucking about.