The Cribs
For All My Sisters
SONY RED
6/10
The Cribs are the eternal underdog, a trio with a slew of indie hits and a delicious back catalogue (“Another Number” and “Mirror Kisses” are two excellent examples of that). The group’s sixth album For All My Sisters bats with their best and swings for the fences—even if sometimes it doesn’t make it out of the park. At first, the LP is underwhelming; the hooks don’t punch instantaneously. But with the second listen, subtler melodies blossom from the subconscious into huge songs. The escalation of the melodies in the verses of “Different Angle” roll out anthemically after an effortless guitar riff. With the album’s last two songs, the band also show that they’ve developed into poets of melody and sound. “Spring on Broadway” flows, unstoppably: “When everyone’s forgotten you / Don’t be sad baby.” The closing track is seven minutes of glorious distortion and flanged riffs. The Cribs are the boys with the perennially broken hearts, but we love to hear them ache every time.
