Los Campesinos! new album “We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed” is an exciting and fun album from a group whose initial LP “Hold On Now, Youngster” was a let down after a series of excellent EPs. The six family members from Wales, all bearing the awesome last name of Campesinos, rebound extremely well on this LP thanks to the title track and other heartfelt songs of typical indie pop noir. Though lyrically and idealogically (sic) typical of what you might expect from this type of music, Los Campesinos! continues to be unique in the way their vocals are presented and executed.
In line with all of their other releases, the band utilizes two vocalists equally on every track; one guy and one girl. There are certainly other groups out there that track vocals in the same sort of manor (see dirty projectors or fiery furnaces) but it’s the way Los Campesinos! present their lyrics through this unique format. Many if not all of their songs touch on love, sex, and any or all topics surrounding subjects, so using the vocals of opposite sexes allows for story telling and funny lyrical quips to be a strong asset for the group.
The title track from “We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed” is not only the most stellar of all the tracks on the album, it plays perfectly well into what I was just describing. You can guess for yourself what the topic of the song is all about, but even though it seems cliched and over-done. The group makes silly teen love and depression a fun topic again. Yes, I do realize that last statement is ridiculous. But as I mentioned, the two view points of the guy and the girl are presented in a way that is interesting and fun enough to make this track one of the most heartfelt and enjoyable tracks floating around right now. The harmonies created by the vocal duo make for a triumphant crescendo at the end of the track and really set the tone for the entire album. The best example of this type of music is displayed perfectly well near the end of the track, as the music builds the two vocalists shout at the same time “We kid ourselves there’s future in this fucking, but there is no fucking future!”
If you’ve heard anything from Los Campesinos! in the past you have a pretty good idea of what to expect, but it’s a great thing to hear them return to their sound on their first two EPs instead of the obviously over-produced “Hold On Now, Youngster.” The fun-loving kids from Wales deliver a stellar sophomore album (not many times do you hear that, ha) and will without a doubt expand their already growing fan base with this album.
Check ‘Em Out: mp3s “You! Me! Dancing!” “C Is The Heavenly Option”
8.2/10
MIND INVERSION 