Album: Monday At The Hug & Pint
Artist: Arab Strap
Born: Falkirk, Scotland
Released: April 2003
Genre: Indie Dance
Malcolm Middleton, co-founder of Arab Strap along with Aidan Moffat, is the king of Scottish miserabilism. He reminds me a little of Half Man Half Biscuit's Nigel Blackwell or The The's Matt Johnson, in his unrelenting disappointment at the mediocrity of modern life. His lyrics are full of the same working class poetry you find in the songs of John Cooper Clarke and Mark E. Smith. Early albums, released on the Chemikal Underground label in the mid-to-late 90s, present Arab Strap in all their raw, undiluted glory but there's something about the production and sequencing of their fifth release, Monday At The Hug & Pint, that makes it their most enjoyable musical proposition. Both Moffat (as L. Pierre) and Middleton had recorded more experimental solo records by the time of this album's release, and bringing in talented contributors like Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Barry Burns (Mogwai) added to the record's sonic depth. One thing that brought Moffat and Middleton together was a shared love of Smog (aka Bill Callahan) and Will Oldham, who both sing in a similar downbeat style; I don't think being miserable is a uniquely male trait, Cat Power was also adept at exploring her sadness, but it's clearly something men excel at. For me, Middleton is a foul-mouthed, Scottish version of Leonard Cohen, especially the way he delves into sexual politics (see Packs Of Three on their second LP, Philophobia). Another good example is The Shy Retirer, this record's opening track, an electro-acoustic dance tune (with strings) that's full of great lines, "You know I'm always moaning / but you jump-start my serotonin", and sleazy details of a weekend of beer, drugs and women. There's also a reference to a Nicholas Roeg art house film, Walkabout ("You can be my teenage Jenny Agutter, swimming naked in a pond"), just to show they're not drunken boors.
The Shy Retirer comes close, but for me the perfect Arab Strap song will always be First Big Weekend from their debut LP, The Week Never Starts Round Here (1996). One of the songs on Monday At The Hug & Pint shares its name with the title of that album, and it's a real highlight on the record, thanks to its stunning piano melody and rousing chorus. Fucking Little Bastards is less pretty and more experimental, its post-rock angst clearly influenced by Mogwai, and it's a rarity on the record; most songs follow the same template of acoustic-tinged self-loathing interlaced with dance beats. Another exception to the standard template is Loch Leven, which sounds more like a genuine folk song, and its beautiful strings make it another highlight. Both songs are examples of how Monday At The Hug & Pint is more musically accomplished than other Arab Strap efforts. I also like the honesty of the songs and the colloquial language, an approach that would inspire many Scottish groups, including the like of The Twilight Sad. Another standout track is Act of War, again enhanced by musical flourishes like strings and horns, as well as the backing vocals of Conor Oberst, but the lyrics reveal a relationship in tatters ("Our new hardwood floor was the perfect battleground / so I suppose the bullets were our tears"). When the band split up in 2006, they released a compilation called Ten Years Of Tears, which is a great introduction to their music. This, though, is their crowning achievement.
Malcolm Middleton, co-founder of Arab Strap along with Aidan Moffat, is the king of Scottish miserabilism. He reminds me a little of Half Man Half Biscuit's Nigel Blackwell or The The's Matt Johnson, in his unrelenting disappointment at the mediocrity of modern life. His lyrics are full of the same working class poetry you find in the songs of John Cooper Clarke and Mark E. Smith. Early albums, released on the Chemikal Underground label in the mid-to-late 90s, present Arab Strap in all their raw, undiluted glory but there's something about the production and sequencing of their fifth release, Monday At The Hug & Pint, that makes it their most enjoyable musical proposition. Both Moffat (as L. Pierre) and Middleton had recorded more experimental solo records by the time of this album's release, and bringing in talented contributors like Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Barry Burns (Mogwai) added to the record's sonic depth. One thing that brought Moffat and Middleton together was a shared love of Smog (aka Bill Callahan) and Will Oldham, who both sing in a similar downbeat style; I don't think being miserable is a uniquely male trait, Cat Power was also adept at exploring her sadness, but it's clearly something men excel at. For me, Middleton is a foul-mouthed, Scottish version of Leonard Cohen, especially the way he delves into sexual politics (see Packs Of Three on their second LP, Philophobia). Another good example is The Shy Retirer, this record's opening track, an electro-acoustic dance tune (with strings) that's full of great lines, "You know I'm always moaning / but you jump-start my serotonin", and sleazy details of a weekend of beer, drugs and women. There's also a reference to a Nicholas Roeg art house film, Walkabout ("You can be my teenage Jenny Agutter, swimming naked in a pond"), just to show they're not drunken boors.
The Shy Retirer comes close, but for me the perfect Arab Strap song will always be First Big Weekend from their debut LP, The Week Never Starts Round Here (1996). One of the songs on Monday At The Hug & Pint shares its name with the title of that album, and it's a real highlight on the record, thanks to its stunning piano melody and rousing chorus. Fucking Little Bastards is less pretty and more experimental, its post-rock angst clearly influenced by Mogwai, and it's a rarity on the record; most songs follow the same template of acoustic-tinged self-loathing interlaced with dance beats. Another exception to the standard template is Loch Leven, which sounds more like a genuine folk song, and its beautiful strings make it another highlight. Both songs are examples of how Monday At The Hug & Pint is more musically accomplished than other Arab Strap efforts. I also like the honesty of the songs and the colloquial language, an approach that would inspire many Scottish groups, including the like of The Twilight Sad. Another standout track is Act of War, again enhanced by musical flourishes like strings and horns, as well as the backing vocals of Conor Oberst, but the lyrics reveal a relationship in tatters ("Our new hardwood floor was the perfect battleground / so I suppose the bullets were our tears"). When the band split up in 2006, they released a compilation called Ten Years Of Tears, which is a great introduction to their music. This, though, is their crowning achievement.
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