Scumbag Philosopher- It Means So It Means Nothing
Scumbag Philosopher approaches us with a record that will stand in front of a pool of opinion like Moses at the edge of the Red Sea. 'It Means Nothing So It Means Nothing' will either be the most attention-grabbing and creatively intelligent addition to your CD collection, or it's going to to be so far out of your field of vision that you're not even going to understand why it was ever made.
What we have is, at it's core, an erratic brand of post-punk. The approach is so jerking and unconventional however, that there is a strong sense of the avant-garde indie amid the steady bass line and discordant strands of guitar. Tracks like 'Isolation' and 'Scumbag Philosopher' are straight from the murky depths of the dark side of the 80s instrumentally; the parallels to The Fall being exceptionally striking. There is a carefully measured feel of disarray as every layer of sound is a relentless pummelling for your body and brain. It's good to experience affecting music.
More than anything, it'll be the unique vocal performance that's going to get people talking. Of course, you might be able to appreciate the spoken word style and find yourself engaged by the familiarity and humour in the words of tracks like 'Social Networking Site'. On the other hand, you may envisage yourself having your head rammed into a wall of pretentiousness repeatedly while you hope it's all just a hilarious joke. Listening to 'Brandon Flowers has forgotten its bin day. Chris Martin has a gas bill to pay' in 'Your Heroes At Home' is quite amusing, but when presented in such an art-rock package, you can't help but worry if it's being delivered by shoegazing faces and serious expressions. The record feels a bit like it might be stolen as an anthem for the super-hipsters who swarm around in a world of irony and upward inflections in Shoreditch,á la Nathan Barley.
You might love it, you might hate it. While their influences and experimentally creative merits can be applauded, their unique style can easily be perceived as distancing and pretentious. Don't let me try and make your mind up for you, you'll have to listen for yourself.