The Cribs - Selling a Vibe (2026)
I appreciate the intent behind this record more than the execution. Selling a Vibe is clearly trying to reclaim a raw, no-frills version of indie rock, and there’s something admirable about how little it cares about sounding current. The guitars are dry, the songs are short, and the whole thing feels deliberately boxed-in, like a refusal to engage with anything beyond the basics.
That said, the stubbornness starts working against it. A lot of the tracks blur together, not because they’re cohesive in a strong way, but because they rarely push past a single gear. The energy is there, but it’s rarely shaped into moments that really stick. I keep waiting for a hook, a left turn, or even a bit of tension that doesn’t resolve immediately — and it usually never comes.
It’s not a bad record, and it’s certainly not cynical, but it feels more like maintenance than necessity. I get why it exists, I respect the attitude behind it, yet I’m left feeling like I’ve heard this version of The Cribs many times before, and with more urgency. It does its job, but it doesn’t demand much more than a nod of acknowledgment.
Genre: Indie Rock
Country: UK
Final Verdict: 63% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 13th / 21
Highlight: Dark Luck
Made me think of:
The Libertines
The Strokes
Arctic Monkeys
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