Review Summary: Scotland, the world's sadness factory.
I'm Totally Fine with It Don't Give a *** Anymore was my first experience with Arab Strap and I can't say it was exactly what I was expecting which was a wonderful surprise. They were always a band I meant to check out after hearing vocalist Aidan Moffat's haunting delivery on Mogwai's “R U Still in 2 It” from their album
Young Team. The vocals are surely the centerpiece here with Moffat's unique, thick and deep pitched Scottish accent rarely rising above a poetic almost spoken word flow, far from traditional singing. They are almost something you would hear from an indie rapper instead. This peculiar inflection along with the downbeat and witty lyrics create a strong clash with the variety of genre stylings showcased by the other half of the duo multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton on this album. Lyrically there is a lot to dig into with the storytelling mostly focusing on society's obsession with the online world, not exactly new ground but its acerbic, tongue in cheek tone make it charming and not the bitter ramblings of a boomer. It’s a fine line to walk but Moffat pulls it off well.
The amount of genres played with and the way they are mixed together on this album is what really draws me to it. As soon as you think it is one note or would get tired with the downtrodden delivery, they switch it up. This ranges from the thick guitar driven opener “Allatonceness” to the next song “Bliss” which features a electronic danceable club-esque beat to the acoustic folk “Safe & Well” to “Molehills” and “Turn Off The Light” which have post-rock builds that explode into intense crescendos. As a singular musical experience, this really does have it all. You would think the limited delivery from Moffat wouldn't mesh with all these styles but miraculously they aren't out of place at all. It's quite the eclectic mix that always keeps you guessing but not in a way that is jarring at all. This is a special album full of off the beaten path idiosyncrasies and a band I was long overdue listening to seeing as sad Scottish men are peak music (see Mogwai, The Twilight Sad, etc).
