Arab Strap

The Last Romance

[4/5] With singer Aidan Moffet filtering an incendiary opening line (“Burn these sheets that we’ve just fucked in”) through his bitterness-hardened brogue, Arab Strap’s sixth studio album makes a rough first impression. Indeed, the characters in The Last Romance’s lyrics can be cruel, caustic and casually profane, and the rhythms that back them can be as stark and assertive as Moffet’s sentiments. Still, those who stick with Arab Strap (a.k.a. Moffet and musical partner-in-crime Malcolm Middleton) will discover endearing wit and vulnerability in the duo’s songs, as well as tender melodies and graceful acoustic playing. It’s initially off-putting when Moffet turns on the charm, but by The Last Romance’s end, he sounds practically festive: Amid blaring horns and whimsical piano plinks, the roguish Scot finally seems to have surrendered to his redemptive muse.
(TRANSDREAMER) Andrew Miller



ROCKS LIKE: Tindersticks’ Waiting For The Moon • Malcolm Middleton’s Into The Woods • Simon Joyner’s Lost With The Lights On