Reviews

BY JOHN KOVALCHIK

Say what you will about hokey family acts such as The Osmonds or The Jonas Brothers, but there is a chemistry in a trio of siblings that other groups simply lack.

The Cribs, founded by brothers Gary, Ryan and Ross Jarman, are defined by their simplistic song style and scratchy post-punk guitar riffs.

Their past three albums embody the energetic live performances and catchiness of the band that has put them on par with more notable Brit-pop acts such as The Libertines or the Arctic Monkeys.

Although it was no coincidence, when the group recorded its fourth album "Ignore The Ignorant" new member Johnny Marr seemed more out of place than ZZ Top would jamming with The Partridge Family.

Marr, former guitarist of The Smiths and current guitarist for Modest Mouse, officially joined The Cribs in 2008. He is considered by some as one of the most influential guitar players of modern music for his work combining rockabilly sounds (as well as many others) with pop music.

Just as "Ignore The Ignorant" marks a departure for The Cribs from their former style, the other acts that Marr is associated with stand in stark contrast, stylistically, with his new project.

The first single from the album, "Cheat On Me," incorporates Marr's down-tempo and warm guitar tone into the brothers' song structure. But this is one of only a few songs that manages to do so appropriately. Unfortunately, most tracks on the album are a motley crew of drudgingly long, uninteresting instrumentation.

While some may have hoped (most likely The Cribs themselves) that the addition of Johnny Marr would bring more success and fans, veteran listeners will be disappointed in the band's new direction.

John Kovalchik is a junior at Stafford High School.