eMusic Review 0
"Nothing new under the sun" we're often told, but the Chap — an arty and sardonic quartet from North London — squeeze undeniable freshness from the sum of their influences. This, their third album, joins the dots between Sonic Youth, Múm, electronica aces Matmos and quintessentially English bands such as Black Box Recorder. It's an odd mix that together with the subject matter of their knowing, dryly mocking lyrics sets the Chap apart.
The mores of the music business and the biases and pretences of its insiders have been fair game since the group's second album, Ham. This time out, too, you sense that certain out-of-touch or cooler-than-thou individuals are being parodied. “Fun & Interesting” could be read as an A&R's man's patronising dismissal of the kind of left-field, non-formulaic pop that the Chap do so well, while “I Saw Them” — ostensibly an account of seeing some unspecified band at various London venues before that band became famous — seems aware that some who claim to have seen the nascent Nirvana or whoever may be fibbing.
Musically speaking, too, Mega Breakfast surprises and wrong-foots. Ruler-twang noises and a coolly crazed chorus are factored into "Carlos, Walter, Wendy,… read more »
