Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 29/06/09
Label: Stolen Recordings

There's a long list of influences on Let's Wrestle's Wikipedia page they sound nothing like. Mainly: Sparklehorse and Penguin Café Orchestra. There's one on the list they sound loads like: Pete & The Pirates. And there's one nowhere near the list who their rabble rock channels pungently: The Cribs. This could mean three things. One, Let's Wrestle don't know they sound like The Cribs. Two, Let's Wrestle don't want you to know they sound like The Cribs. Three, Let's Wrestle aren't influenced by The Cribs. Yet "In The Court Of Wrestling Let's"' punky, knuckle-shredding tunes are pure Jarman brothers.

Even the mysteriously named WPG's (Wesley Patrick Gonzalez) romantic, heartbroken, elegantly lazy vocal recalls Ryan Jarman. It's nothing to be ashamed of. The Cribs are the most underrated British band of the decade. Let's Wrestle combine everything the Wakefield trio do well (ethics, harmonies, refusal to give a f*ck about anyone else) and run with it. Which is where Pete & The Pirates come in. Both the Wrestle and the Pirates live at Stolen Recordings and both love melodies so obviously charming you can't believe you haven't heard them before. See: "Song For Old People"'s intro. It's perfect.

And it houses some of Let's Wrestle's hilarious (no overstatement) lyrics. "Getting all the illnesses you never thought you would / Falling out of love like you never thought you could / Going to the seaside when it's way too cold / Life ain't worth living when you get old." The jokes go on. On "Diana's Hair", WPG sings: "Eleven years ago, a princess died / And the wounds are still there / But I found a way to get over it / I found a friend with Diana's hair / And he is a very good friend." The London trio are funny.

They're also unafraid of their lifestyle, as told in "My Schedule": "I'm going to my local library / And then I'll go to the charity shop / Who knows where I'll go after that / Then I think I'll go home". Meanwhile, "We Are The Men You'll Grow To Love Soon" proves their idealism: "We're going down the Job Centre / And soon, we'll come out with a job." There's nothing fancy about Let's Wrestle, but they're special. This debut is incomparably charming, a mix of the best bits of two great bands with a wit and lollop of their own. It sounds like it was recorded hurriedly in a leaky shed. But there's no point spending ages on something you can nail first time.

    by Tom Howard