Pretty Much Every UK Band I Ever Liked Is Mentioned In This Review

Artist: Let's Wrestle
Album: In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's

Comments: One of the ramifications of the Internet's strangle-hold on our lives is the hyper-acceleration of culture. More specifically, sub genres come and go from the public eye faster than ever before. Sometimes, this shortened attention span works in favor of the world at large (so long, Rap-Metal! Hasta La Vista, Reggeton!) but it also robs us of some better ideas that need more attention. I'm sure that, somewhere in the UK, pub-rock is alive and well. I just wish we had more bands like the Fratellis to pump out radio-friendly, upbeat drinking music here state-side.

What we do have is Let's Wrestle, a young new trio from some such country in Europe. The band's debut In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's merges indie-rock guitar strumming with the humor and good-natured youthfulness of the Arctic Monkeys or Hot Club De Paris, resulting in a sort of Strokes-meets-Wombats monster for the new millenium.

While groups like Louis XIV played their music like cock-sure fuckheads, Let's Wrestle are much more comfortable fumbling through their youth like awkward bespectacled soccer players. Instead of killar riffs and sexy lixx, the band uses the drones and echo tones of 80s American college-rock to illustrate the frustration and comedy of being someone young, stupid and in love. Most of the album sticks in this indie-minded middle gear, resulting in some pretty agreeable tunes like “My Schedule” and “I'm In Love With Disaster.” The former almost sounds like a 50s pop song, while the latter dissects the failings of young love without getting all wimpy, which is nice.

However, when the band does decided to kick shit up past 6 and actually play their guitars, the songs do get pretty fucking good. Album opener “My Arms Don't Bend That Way, Damn It!” and “Song For Old People” both sound better with a little spine behind them, and record highlight “We Are The Men You'll Grow To Love Soon” is a bonafide pop-rock hit in the grandest booze-drinking tradition.

At the end of the day, however, Let's Wrestle aren't a pub band as much as they are a “drinking with a few friends in a second floor apartment” kind of band. They walk the line between frivolous drunk music and indie rock swirling well enough that one never needs them to fall on either side. In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's has its share of good songs and there is more than enough present to make this band one to watch out for.

Now, if we can just get Europe to make some kind of Libertines / Hold Steady hybrid, we'll be guzzling pints like there is no tomorrow (wait...they already did!?).

Key Tracks: We Are The Men You'll Grow To Love Soon, Song For Old People, My Schedule, I'm In Fighting Mode

Buy, Steal, Skip: Steal