Arab Strap was a Scottish duo known for their very sad, downtempo indie pop songs featuring heavy doses of sarcasm, self-deprecation, and even perversity. By all accounts, their output was unwaveringly depressing until “Monday at the Hug and Pint,” their fifth album which has songs of varying tempos. I think this album is more interesting that their others for that reason, because none of the songs sound too much like the ones before them. Drum machines, strings, and acoustic guitars are constantly present, with a few surprises (horns) thrown in. Singer Aidan Moffat’s heavily-accented voice is a constant, as is the generally somber mood. He constantly sings about relationships that haven’t gone very well, and the music behind his lyrics fits the theme perfectly. LISTEN
TRACKLIST
1. The Shy Retirer – 4:21
2. Meanwhile, at the Bar, a Drunkard Muses – 2:25
3. Fucking Little Bastards – 6:15
4. Peep Peep – 3:10
5. Flirt – 3:22
6. Who Named the Days? – 4:22
7. Loch Leven (Intro) – 2:28
8. Loch Leven – 3:17
9. Glue – 3:12
10. Act of War – 4:10
11. Serenade – 3:50
12. The Week Never Starts Round Here – 2:17
13. Pica Luna – 2:56
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