Lupen Crook: Accidents Occur Whilst Sleeping
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Monday, 31, Jul 2006 12:08
Lupen Crook: Accidents Occur Whilst Sleeping, Tap 'n' Tin Records, out now.
In a nutshell.
Dark, creative, haunting, dreamy, unforgettable.
What's it all about?
Accidents is a long record and its 15 tracks would be too many for some.
However Lupen Crook tells interesting and original stories in every song he writes. There are 15 strong tracks here and they have been enlarged with the help of a competent band behind Crook's melodious acoustic guitar. Lupen Crook's voice is something that surprises many at first, however by the end of this record you wouldn't want it any other way. Matilda V highlights Crook's vocal capability. From moody 'whisky tainted' slurring to the heightened and loud pronunciations of certain lines. It's a technique used by Radiohead's Thom Yorke and it provides a chilling affect to Crook's idiom. Accidents involves the dark lyrics that many associate with Yorke however the electronic samples that many are not keen on aren't apparent in Crook's work.
Who's it by?
Lupen Crook hails from Chatham, an area not many would immediately associate with the world of rock n' roll. However Pete and Carl chose the Tap n' Tin as the location for the Libertines' freedom gig and the pub has become the venue for many an interesting 'supergroup'. Crook released a cluster of singles in the build up to this L.P, one of which made it on to an NME compilation CD and made Lupen something of a name. Petals Fresh From Road Kill became a cult EP and since then Crook has been a regular at small Camden gigs.
As an example.
"I've got plenty of songs in my suitcase of stories/ I'll bring them along/ Chatterbox you to death/ Sing them all day long."
Listening to 6=8 you can imagine Crook bringing his tales of heartache and debauchery to a Dickensian bar somewhere in Medway. The messy, absent poet and carpetbagger with a sharp tongue is always in mind when listening to this record.
Likelihood of a trip to the awards
With critics claiming that the Brits are decided by commercial success, the chances of Crook being recognised on an awards stage are slim. The NME awards will not jump on any bandwagon without some form of commercial profit, however they may put Lupen in the Cool list this year.
What the critics say
"Accidents... is a strange affair - like tea and coffee brewed in the same pot, proving an uneasy listen."
Gigwise
The NME gave Accidents an 8, which they saw fit to give the Kooks, and Razorlight. Gigwise was slightly harsher, however this points to the awkwardness of Crook's work, it requires the listener to try and there is no doubt about that.
So is it any good?
Accidents is a classic. Lupen Crook skilfully locks tough and untypical lyrics with pop melodies in a way that still sounds utterly distinctive.
Crook bares his soul for all to see with a dark ode to his family, "you are the light of my life" he sings, and his relationships, "It's nice to think you're missed/ That's why I ain't got time for this". It's hard to pick a highlight from this album as when you think a weak song has appeared Crook welcomes in a brass band for a raising chorus that envelops the whole track.
Matilda V and Here 2 B Friends would crash the top ten if enough exposure was given to them. Knives 'n' Pliers and Indigenous Syringes provide a cutting social portrait of what it's actually like to live in middle England and Crook's lyrics are up there with Doherty's and Turner's for generation turning phrases.
9/10
Karl Pike