Los Campesinos!

'Romance Is Boring'

Brits downplay the twee, up the clever quotient.

Spin Rating7 of 10

It's fun, if slightly jarring, to hear this infectiously hyperactive indie crew stretch out a little. Romance, their third album in 24 months, is more slickly assured -- and far less twee -- than its predecessors. At one end, the cacophonous "Plan A" gets blatantly cranky, and at the other, "Who Fell Asleep In" might be loosely called a ballad. (Fear not, the British septet's cheery, breathless indie pop is still present in "There Are Listed Buildings" and a few stirring others.) A through-line remains in singer Gareth Campesinos' sharp wit and empathetic ear for language: He's one of the most touchingly sarcastic lyricists to emerge in years.

By Josh Modell

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