The Mitchell Brothers - 'A Breath Of Fresh Attire' (The Beats) Released 22/08/05

From the outset, The Mitchell Brothers’ debut long-player is a confident, vibrant and lyrically dextrous offering. While long-term friend and Beats label supremo Mike Skinner has a healthy input with his seemingly ubiquitous vocals and deft lyrics, it would be wrong to idly suggest that the Mitchells are just pale Streets by-products. For the duo have their own, unique gritty edge and paint a vivid picture of post-millennial Britain from their perspective.

Fetchingly titled opener ‘**** Me? **** You!’ quickly earns the album its ‘Explicit Lyrics’ sticker within seconds, and with its rhythmic bass, abrasive tone and jibes at some fella called Teddy also known as “prick” and “****” it’s a sure sign of things to come. Later, ‘g.o.r.g.i.e’ is an ode to being short of money and scumming it along to make a living, while on obvious single ‘Routine Check’ the Mitchell’s spout “**** the police” and slam the boys in blues’ habits to carry out routine checks. It’s only on ‘She’s Got It All Wrong’ that the spouting start of the album makes way for smooth keys, chilled deliveries and lyrics about a flagging relationship, complete with the hilarious line “She needs to go on Trisha with all her shenanigans”.

But despite the strutting prowess of tracks like ‘Harvey Nicks’ (the store, not a bloke) and the melancholy and touching ‘Alone With the TV’, the album loses its impact in parts sounds a tad uninspired. ‘Excuse My Brother’ is just a bit too similar to earlier numbers, while ‘Wish I Did The Same’ plays on all too familiar rhymes of an all too regretful shag. Yet, much better stuff is to be found in the violin led (yes, violin) and acoustic driven closer ‘Don’t Try This At Home’ and the humorous ‘When The Whistle Blows’ which pokes fun at the glory hunting Liverpool supporting Mitchell Brother. Top stuff.