“No Blues” is the 10th anniversary remaster of seven-piece British indie rock band Los Campesinos!’s fifth studio album, first released Oct. 29, 2013. Formed in Cardiff, Wales in 2006, Los Campesinos! is part Johnny Foreigner, part Car Seat Headrest, and part Front Bottoms.
Due to a number of rotating members, the band’s discography is made up of a series of stylistically fluctuating periods that are similar, in a sense, to Taylor Swift’s “eras.”
Both released in 2008, their first two albums, “Hold on Now, Youngster…” and “We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed,” are twee rock wrecking balls. Soon after the departure of the female vocalist, Aleksandra Berditchevskaia, in 2009, their third album, “Romance is Boring,” marked the first shift in musical tone into angrier rock.
Then in 2011 came what frontman Gareth Paisey, described as their “most gut-wrenching album,” “Hello Sadness,” which took them into the realm of pop-oriented emo. Their sound was pushed further into indie pop when founding member and bassist, Ellen Waddel, left the band in 2012, resulting in their most recent albums, “No Blues” and “Sick Scenes,” having a cleaner, poppier sound. “No Blues” is an album with toe-tappingly catchy rhythms, shout-along choruses and snarkily clever lyrics.
The first track, “For Flotsam,” is a battering ram of an opener, beginning with ethereal backup vocals before transitioning into the muted voice of Gareth Paisey with an acoustic guitar. A piano chord soon explodes into the foreground, kicking the song into action with thudding drums and tambourine.
The sound is starkly different from previous Los Campesinos! albums, with less of an emphasis on jangling guitars, and more on the piano notes, drums and Gareth Paisey’s voice.
“Avocado, Baby” is likely the poppiest track on the album, complete with guest vocals from the Cardiff Cougar Allstars Cheerleaders. It combines the lighter vocals of keyboardist Kim Paisey and drummer Rob Taylor, then lays them over the peppy choir of shouting cheerleaders.
“No Blues’’ is more than an album. It’s a staple of indie rock, a relic of the 2013 music scene and a landmark on the path of Los Campesinos!’s ever-changing musical style. From the rocking rhythms to the whip-smart lyrics, it’s definitely an unforgettable album.
