Thanks to the inevitable NME support, sussed new whelps on the block THE CRIBS' success - at least in the short term - seems preordained, not least in the current scheme of things where urchins like The Paddingtons can get within groping distance of the Top 20.
To be fair to this Wakefield trio, though, they do seem to have both a decent cache of DIY-assisted choons'n'attitude and also a healthy cynicism at their disposal. When aligned to some welcome northern grit on songs like recent smash "Hey Scenesters" and now new single "Mirror Kissers", it's not a bad combination, either.
Not that the narcisstically-obsessed "Mirror Kissers" is shockingly original in any way, but the sheer gush of energy is infectious, as are the bouncy, Dee Dee Ramone basslines, the scuzzy, guttersnipe guitar and careering drums. Not to mention the use of what appear to be recorders (y'know, as in school assemblies) in what almost passes for a 'middle eight'. It's sparky, irreverent and confident and - at least at this stage - those are all credentials The Cribs can be proud of.
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They've recently been touring with omnipresent new Leeds indie emperors The Kaiser Chiefs, and return the compliment with a "Live Stiffs"-style gesture by covering t'Chiefs' "Modern Way" as the B-side. I'm probably about the only person on the planet not au fait with "Employment" save for the singles, so I dunno how faithful The Cribs' runty, sub-"Spiral Scratch" take is, but to these ears it sounds rather endearing. Besides, who could argue with the "I will stop at nothing to get what I want" catchline in these 21st Century times?
Pretty good, then. While it's easy to predict short-term adulation for the current crop of post-urchin bands such as this, there's backbone here in this case too, and The Cribs might just be a good bet for something pertaining to longevity.
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