Album review: 24/7 Rock Star S*** by The Cribs

24/7 Rock Star S***, puts right the last few dense albums, and although the production and musicianship has evolved over the years and their last two albums Brazen Bull and For All My Sisters were no mere pop folly, some Cribs fans and critics have voiced a disconnect from their lyrical output of late.

Coming in at just over 30 minutes, this ten track Steve Albini produced record is a no frills, back to basics Cribs purist album. Back are the dry, self depreciating lyrics, nods to The Merrie City, simpler chord structures and quick execution.

Seen as the ‘lost Albini sessions’, 24/7 Rock Star S*** had been teased as an album then an EP then back to a full album again. Indeed some of the other Steve Albini work made it onto In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull, these are new tracks cut in rapid succession to tape like the old school Toe Rag studio days of their debut.

Year Of Hate, In Your Palace, Rainbow Ridge and What Have You Done For Me, have already been released with rotation on the radio to great reception.

The six remaining tracks follow the same gritty cynical punk rock line with opening track Give Good Time and Dendrophobia being particular highlights, whilst side two opens with a beautiful acoustic track in Sticks Not Twigs and after all the viscera preceding it, I don’t think anyone will be expecting the direction of Dead at the Wheel. The whole album feels like The Cribs’ most honest coherent work since Ignore The Ignorant.

Released in every format possible, with the Rock Star deluxe package coming with a slice of the master tape, in some way if all fans who ordered this met up one day, they would be able to edit it back together which when thought about is an incredibly cool prospect.

After the anniversary shows and last year’s wildly successful Millennium Square gig also featured on the albums DVD, The Cribs have a refreshed and renewed interest in themselves and have gone on to prove detractors wrong time and again.

The now sold-out album launch gig, will be held at Belgrave Music Hall on Sunday August 13 at 7pm.