Living in a no man's land between the DIY prole art commune (too catchy) and the Britpop kingdom (uncool, not good looking enough), Art Brut's debut is three chords and straight to the point. The opening salvo of "Formed a Band" and "My Little Brother" sets the dry-witted yet naive tone and the band rarely looks back. Singer Eddie Argos' conversational vocal style is reminiscent of both The Fall's Mark E. Smith and Television Personalities' Dan Treacy, as he waxes lyrical about middle school girlfriends, bad drugs, and the state of rock 'n' roll today. Meanwhile, the band chugs along like pop art-damaged punks, a fitting vehicle for Argos' enthusiastic court jesterisms. Recommended for Guardian (or the New Yorker) readers willing to explore the dark side of the NME.