SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE ARROGANTS – BRAINWASH

The Arrogants
Brainwash
Dirty Water Records

There can’t be many bands who start their second album cycle by opening for The Who and gaining an endorsement from Pete Townshend. When one puts on Brainwash, though, it’s not hard to see why, as this album could’ve easily marked out The Arrogants as a contemporary of The Who in their pomp.

Starting out with a bluesy “Intro” before following up with the insistent peppiness of “No Plan”, the album continues on to become a veritable smorgasbord of mid-to-late ‘60s influences – it’s an album of jangly guitar riffs, catchy basslines, and an easy drum groove, all held together by the bratty, Dylan-esque nasal sneer of frontman Thomas Babczynski.

The Arrogants’ influences are imprinted all over this record, and the worry would be that an album so rooted in the past could easily find itself becoming a mere pastiche of what it actually intends to acclaim. Fortunately for The Arrogants, they’re musically versatile enough not to fall into that trap, using songs such as the meandering groove of “Stoned Blues” or the epic album closer of “She Smiles (She Comes)” to keep the listener’s attention in amongst the avalanche of pop-rock.

Thanks to this variety, The Arrogants have produced a pleasing, diverse listen that will likely translate well to the live arena. Overall, a good album full of radio-friendly tunes, and if one were to catch fire with the listening public, we might be seeing The Arrogants headlining arenas themselves in the near future.

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