Los Campesinos! - These Are Listed Buildings

Label: Wichita Recordings Release date:21/10/09 Website: http://loscampesinos.com Fans who have seen the video for ‘The Sea is a Good Place to Think About the Future’, might have assumed that Los Campesinos! were getting serious on us for their next album. I’ve listened to ‘These are Listed Buildings’, the first release from that new album, and it’s the antithesis of serious. After The Sea’s poignant lyrics, “I grabbed hold of her wrist and my hand closed from tip to tip/I said you've taken to diet too far you have got to let it slip”, in ‘Listed Buildings’ we get, “you dangle fishing line for crabs but their not interested I’m your only bite.” And the completely nonsensical, “The titans in your stomach splash your shoes.” Yep the lyrics are back to normal, and the band still sounds like the noise twenty-five school children might make with twenty-five instruments when their music teacher leaves the room. Los Campesinos! divide public opinion to such extremes that this news will either fill you with joy, or fear that you’ll ever accidentally hear the song. My official reviewer’s opinion (to continue my school analogy) is that ‘These are Listed Buildings’ is as catchy as head lice. One day Los Campesinos! might have to grow up, but I hope it isn’t yet. Rating: 8/10