Los Campesinos have managed to consistently release catchy, indie rock without the slightest trace of a sneer or unjustified swagger. Amid all the backlash, and there was and still is a vocal contingent of indie fans who decry Los Campesinos as late-run imposters and hucksters, they have weathered their highs and lows with a certain amount of self-mockery and tour-bred acceptance. On Romance Is Boring, led by ringmaster Gareth, the band sifts through the elements which made their past two full-lengths so memorable and instantly appealing and have managed to create an album which highlights their own brand of pop-rock punch without diluting or changing the essential nature of what makes this music work. Songs like "These Are Listed Buildings" and "I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know" show the band working in sync, chugging out the hooks and melodies with an almost workmanlike ethic. The seeming ease with which they toss off these colossal melodies and dynamic sing-alongs may seem ill-earned but for those of us who've followed Los Campesinos from their inception, it's exactly what we've come to expect.
Tracklisting:
01. In Medias Res
02. There Are Listed Buildings (listen to the mp3 below)
03. Romance is Boring
04. We’ve Got Your Back (Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #2)
05. Plan A
06. 200-102
07. Straight in at 101
08. Who Fell Asleep In
09. I Warned You: Do Not Make an Enemy of Me
10. Heart Swells/100-1
11. I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know
12. A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show-Me State; or, Letters From Me to Charlotte
13. The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future
14. This is a Flag. There is No Wind.
15. Coda: A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State
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