Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

Cheat On Me is the first cut from the Cribs forth coming new album. This will be the first Cribs album to feature former Smiths and Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr. You can immediately hear Marr's influences as he adds greater depths and subtly of harmony to the Cribs' usually frenetic guitar work. While the song still squeeks and buzzes like a Cribs track, Marr definitely adds some big league sheen to their indie level guitar work. Vocally the track is pleasent, suprisingly so for the Cribs there is no abbrasive vocal interplay and no yelping in site. While Ryan's vocals are still strained and million miles from polished, this is the closest he's managed to get to a tender melody, the more soothing vocal tones are matched by the track's soft and sugary hook. Ultimately Cheat On Me is a solid, approachable and pleasent track, it still feels rather pub level, despite the proffesionalism of Marr. While the Cribs seemed like Britians biggest grotty rock and roll pub act without there visercal energy and frantic energy, Cheat On Me feels limp. It certainly has the potential to be a hit, but it seems to be more evidence that the Cribs have plateaued as a band. Marr has taught them some new tricks, but the Cribs continue to get less vital with each and every release. To be fair to them they are swimming frantically against the current but I fear there is little they can do.