The Cribs Struggle with Consistency on Night Network

A few songs later, “Screaming in Suburbia” cranks up the amplifiers to window-rattling levels with a crunchy guitar riff that surges through the arrangement between taut, hooky vocal melodies. The brothers’ voices blend into subtle harmonies on “Deep Infatuation” as they rise above snarling guitar and a busy bassline. So far, so good. But then Night Network starts to lose the thread. Sharp songwriting cedes ground to frenzied churning, as if the band hoped that enough volume and riffage might disguise a dwindling stream of inspiration.

There’s no movement in the riff on “She’s My Style,” and some of the musical transitions toward the end of the song are downright clumsy, as if someone missed a count. Two tracks later, on “The Weather Speaks Your Name,” the vocals are shaky enough that you wonder whether the Jarmans didn’t spend enough time rehearsing the harmonies. Trite lyrics don’t help, and when the lumbering guitar parts try, and fumble, a shift in musical dynamics late in the song, the decision to self-produce the album suddenly seems questionable when an outside set of ears might have saved The Cribs from themselves.

It’s not too late for The Cribs to come to their own rescue—plenty of bands have replaced the fire that fueled them early on with an emphasis on the craft of making music, from writing songs to arranging them to recording them. The Cribs have shown they can do all of those things; all that’s missing is consistency.

Eric R. Danton has been contributing to Paste since 2013, and writing about music and pop culture for longer than he cares to admit. Follow him on Twitter or visit his website.