Hear/Say, America's College Music Magazine review: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

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Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
The Brutalist Bricks

Campus Correspondent CD Review By Marion Olea,
North Central College

Though Ted Leo and the Pharmacist’s lineup has frequently changed throughout the years, that hasn’t stopped singer-guitarist Ted Leo from pursuing his passion for music and staying true to the band since its formation back in 1999. The band’s latest album, The Brutalist Bricks (Matador), stays true to the Ted Leo formula and brings a refreshing sound and style to the current music scene. The Brutalist Bricks will be sure to have people listening and people buzzing.

The album starts strong with “Mourning in America,” which possess a fantastic beat, excellent musical style and catchy lyrics. Unfortunately, not until two-thirds into The Brutalist Bricks is the album worth listening to. “Ativan Eyes” is a nice song with solid guitar work but kind of annoying, while “The Stick” was a little out there and forgettable. Up until “Where Was My Brain?”– a fantastically catchy punk-rock song– the rest was simply decent filler music.

“Tuberculoids Arrive in Hop” is an amazing song with great guitar and vocal work. The song is very mellow and different from anything else off the album, but works perfectly for them. It wouldn’t have been a bad idea to include more songs like this on the album since it is hands down the best song. Similarly, “Gimme the Wire” and “Last Days” have solid instrumental work and serve as strong, memorable finishers to the album.

Even if Ted Leo and the Pharmacists have been around a while, they always manage to bring something fun and different to the music scene. The Brutalist Bricks demonstrates that regardless of who is or isn’t in the band, the same sound that made Ted Leo and the Pharmacists popular remains. While by no means is it the group’s strongest album to date, it’s still an album worth listening to.