Our new guest blogger, Jordon Chiarelli, shares his thoughts on the album. On March 9th, Washington DC’s Ted Leo & The Pharmacists will unveil their sixth release entitled The Brutalist Bricks. The album is an interesting fusion of indie and hard rock songs that express a new sense of pop sensibility resembling that of Can-rocker Sam Roberts alongside the swagger of The Boss. The LP begins with the amped up ‘Mighty Sparrow’ which contains all the necessary hooks and is a definite stand-out track. After a few more similar songs, track five, ‘The Stick’, will hit any listener upside the head and will surely get you on your feet. The tune is a signature Leo number and reminds me of older more palatable Pharmacists selections. Other notable tracks include ‘Where Was My Brain’ – a more up-tempo song than most of the record and finally a tune with a little muscle/attitude. ‘Bartolomeo And The Buzzing Of Bees’ has an interestingly hooky bass line and the album’s best track, ‘Gimme The Wire’, owes Husker Du a big nod. The band has been successful in recent years, playing Coachella and the Pitchfork Festival in 2007, but if I had to say all the hype surrounding this release is accurate, I’d declare that the album is full of both hits and misses. TMS Rating: 7/10.

Ted Leo recently dropped by WXPN.

MP3: Ted Leo – Even Heroes Have To Die