“The town's alive/The little kids are high,
The music's emotive, the place well designed.
It's easy lays layed out on their backs,
It's heartaches, perfection, no need to feel attached.”
(Young Love)
Welcome to the world of LUPEN CROOK. For those who are not yet acquainted with the raconteur noir from Medway, it's time to take notice. Last time Lupen was essentially solo on his debut album 'A ccidents Occur Whilst Sleeping,' an album that took the listener into the darkest reaches of many minds and put on a musical extravaganza. It's was a party in hell, essentially, and one of the best debut albums in recent years. This time he doesn't stand alone; The Murderbirds have joined him, and now he has a gang, things are going to be a little different around here.
'Iscariott the Ladder' was recorded 'live' in a basement, underneath a brothel. That sets the tone nicely – for these ten songs aren't for those who like their lovesongs discharge-free. The overall feel is rawer and more immediate than it's predecessor, but if anything, it's got louder and more chaotic. It would seem in gathering his team together, Lupen Crook has found the perfect accompaniment to his madness.
In general, the standard pop structure is taken away from these songs and replaced with emotional transformations. For example, at the beginning of 'Staghead and Monster,' we have a bitter but vulnerable Lupen lashing out a little, just him and his guitar, by the end, there is an influx of Murderbirds and the air is predatory, full of percussion and venom; a full on victory march for him and his clan. Like the best Simpson's episodes, by the end of the song you wonder how the hell you got there. The changes are seamless but dramatic, and the songs build and sway unpredictably. First single, 'Matthew's Magpie' starts off like a lullaby and ends up in the screams and wails that characterise this album, and leave you yelling along for sheer therapy.
Lyrically things are a little less twisted than on his previous outing, but remain remarkable in their eloquence. As a writer, this album demonstrates his ability to make you laugh (“You've been learning all those tricks, my you're such a dirty bitch,” from 'Splits and Differences'), balk (“Don't ever ask me what's wrong with this world, all fucking queers and all crying girls,” from “Stagehead and Monster”), and smile at the wordplay (“See, I've been writing for all these strangers, they never write me back,” from 'The Critic.)
Album highlight is “Summer Blues,” hopefully an anthem of the summer for those who prefer a darkened room. It is an exemplar of what makes this band so enjoyable. Quite start – meek lyrics and just an acoustic guitar. Then with the lyrics “I try to blame the Winter blues, but the sun comes out, it's fucking June!” things get angrier, the band kick in and the song becomes a funky stompalong wail. The shouting in between verses and at the end of lines never sounds like a forced 'la, la la,' but more an essential point to convey the emotion behind them sentiment.
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The range on this album is huge. You have a bitter, lonely, abused victim on one hand, and on the other is the loud, spiteful aggressor. 'The Critic' is an aural kicking, each line another sucker-punch to an enemy. “One suck, one squeeze, one bang, one blow!” he spits, and you can feel the violence. The music demonstrates the mood perfectly, and the vocals merely fill in the story. “Cackle and the Crown” is a sinister lament that turns in a musical arson attack. It's hard to name anyone who conveys the mood of their tales better. Mood drips from every beat on this album to conjure up the appropriate imagery. It's true narration from start to finish.
Live favourite 'Lucky Six' has been beefed up into an appropriate album finale. It's louder, more aggressive and is as climactic as it needs to be. It meanders around a general idea, but never agrees on a set structure. It builds into wails and screams and threats, and then ends abruptly, and as the album clocks in at well under half an hour, you're left feeling a little used and wondering where the time went.
That these songs can go anywhere makes it exciting, and therefore one of the most worthy releases in a hell of a long time. There is no-one out there doing what Lupen Crook & The Murderbirds are doing right now. One to enjoy on your I-Pod on the bus – a guilty secret that will leave a sadistic grin on your face. 'Iscariot the Ladder' is the perfect fuck you may never have – it screams in all the right places and leaves you ready to go again the moment it's finished. The benchmark has been set for album of 2008; who's going to beat this?
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