Review → Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks (2010)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
Realizing recently that my listening habits this year have often included spins of the latest record from “beloved indie/punk” band Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, I really ought to discuss the record here. Ted Leo should need no introduction, and in a fair and just world, he would be a household name. Since debuting this act with tej leo (?), Rx/pharmacists in 1999, the band has toured relentlessly and released a number of great albums. Following 2007′s well-received Living With the Living, the band signed on with Matador Records and hit this year with The Brutalist Bricks.
The record opens with the rollicking “The Mighty Sparrow,” an energetic song that’s a fairly straightforward, driving rock song. One thing that can be said for this album is that it in no way lacks for energy. These guys know how to bring the rock. To those familiar with the band, this is no surprise. A great Nothing Nice to Say comic addresses Mr. Leo’s propensity to rock faces off. And he certainly does it here; it’s hard to listen to songs like “Mourning in America” or “The Stick” and not imaging them absolutely tearing it up live.
Not to say they can’t bring it down effectively. The jam of “One Polaroid a Day” has a great funk-inspired feel with Ted’s hushed vocals over the low-key verses. And there’s the quiet beauty of “Tuberculoids Arrive in Hop,” with its tense acoustic guitars and quiet, subtle vocals. But they don’t get soft much here. Primarily the album is powerful, driving punk-influenced indie rock.
The album also feels very confident. Ted’s singing on songs like “Bottled in Cork”- the album’s highlight, definitely- his voice sounds powerful. The song was released at the third single from the record, and it’s an excellent choice; I personally would have led the promotion of the album with this catchy, poppy song. It’s closing refrain “I’ll tell the bartender/I think I’m falling in love,” gets jammed in your head and refuses to leave. This timing can be excused, though, by the fact that “Bottled” will make a great addition to your summer mix. It’s gonna be on mine.
Fans of Ted Leo’s previous work should already own this. It’s a characteristically strong collection of songs, and I say it’s a step up from the good but somewhat uneven Living With the Living. I could see this album as being a good introduction to the Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and while it doesn’t equal the greatness of Thy Tyranny of Distance, you need your hearing checked if this isn’t making your top 10 of 2010.
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