Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever
by The Cribs

Album details

US: 17 July 2007 on Warner Bros
UK: 21 May 2007 on Wichita

This major-label (and U.S.) debut for the Yorkshire, England band–which consists of three brothers–was produced by Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos. Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo guests.

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The critical consensus

Anyone expecting Alex Kapranos to turn the trio into a Franz Ferdinand clone can rest assured that is not the case; according to Drowned In Sound, he instead reveals them as "a supremely poppy distillation of punk and art rock influences whose unaffected honesty is impossible not to warm to." All Music Guide also admires Kapranos’ production, indicating that he "reins in the Cribs’ more shambling tendencies just enough to make Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever their most listenable, and diverse, work yet."

Afraid the band sold out by signing with a major label? Fear not, says NME: "Safe, predictable and packaged for the mainstream? This album is anything but." Rolling Stone lauds the effort, concluding, "Finally, the Cribs deliver the tour de force they had in them." The BBC finds the band "beguiling and bedevilling in equal measure," although they generally seem to enjoy the album. MusicOMH more than enjoys the album, declaring that the Cribs "have the filth and the fury, crossed with an almighty gift for melody." Pitchfork notes "a marked increase in passion and precision" (although maybe not in lyric-writing ability), and Metromix concludes, "Rarely has grumpiness, misanthropy and disaffection sounded this energetic and invigorating," although Spin counters that it "isn’t nearly as unique as [leader Ryan] Jarman thinks."

Count Filter among the few who found Kapranos holding the band back rather than improving their sound. They say the Cribs have "grown into a fine young band" who "might have released a truly great record" if left on their own. Although Prefix finds that Kapranos did help the band progress, it wasn’t enough: "Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever and the Cribs’ see-through act are altogether boring." Urb also notes some tedium, commenting that "it’s just a shame that the record is basically the group’s ‘Hey Scenesters!’ single for 45 minutes." And Under The Radar dismisses the band as a "facsimile" of real garage bands.

They follow in the footsteps of the Kinks, Jam, Buzzcocks, and Blur and do things a little scruffier, funnier, and snottier than the competition.

- Harp

Review roundup

Tracklisting and media

1. Our Bovine Public
2. Girls Like Mystery
3. Men’s Needs
   
   
4. Moving Pictures
   
   
5. I’m a Realist
6. Major’s Titling Victory
7. Women’s Needs
8. I’ve Tried Everything
9. My Life Flashed Before My Eyes
10. Be Safe
11. Ancient History
12. Shoot the Poets

Also on the web

• Official Artist Site
• The Cribs @ MySpace