Music I wished I'd heard of sooner: Los Campesinos! "Romance is Boring"

by Ally Nevarez

Earlier in June I had 700 miles of open road to drive, and a stack of CDs in my passenger seat. While albums generally do not make great navigators, they can be the best company.  Amongst my driving companions was the Los Campesinos! album Romance is Boring (2010, pictured to the left). A discovery made in the used bin at Oz Music, the band was originally comprised of 8 musicians from Cardiff, Wales who had all adopted Campesinos! as their last name.  Part of the Arts & Crafts label family, their lyrics are quirky and their tunes are catchy—what more can you ask for on an 11 hour drive?

The album starts out innocently enough with the bittersweet track “In Medias Res” that features unexpected vocal distortion, a confident horn, and sweet strings that serve as indicators of the variety and power of the rest of the album. The fast-paced title track “Romance is Boring” smugly makes light of ambivalent partnerships with an energy that causes closed-fist steering wheel drumming.  The mini-novellas “Who Fell Asleep In” and “The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future” are the most dramatic of the 15 tracks. They are so lovingly crafted that they never seem out of place, but rather contribute to the thoughtfulness of the album as a whole.

I have to admit, though, that I fell in love at track 7, otherwise known as “Straight in at 101.” The song is at times vulgar, but always smart and honest.  There’s hand clapping, cymbal smashing, and a killer spoken word finish that captures the frustration of every break-up.  The saddest part about just discovering this band is that on June 26, 2010 drummer Ollie Campesinos! left the group without a clear reason.  Despite the mysterious departure the album still rules—and so do their low-budget music videos.  Check out the videos for “Romance is Boring,” “There are Listed Buildings,” and “The Sea is a Good Place to think of the Future.” As always, you can findRomance is Boring on my employee picks at Oz Music, along with other Los Campesinos! albums that are just as energetic as this one.  I highly recommend it for fans of Pixies and The Shins.

  It may not have been able to tell me which exit was the right one or chip in for gas, but Romance is Boring was one of the best road trip companions I’ve had in a long time.  Whether you’re driving across the United States or just across Alabama, I hope it is for you, too.(ed. note Plese be sure to go support Ally at Oz Music, keep your money in town)            

--Ally Nevarez