1. Mirror Kissers // The New Fellas
A satirical, ironic piss-take against the demographic of subcultures who would probably care enough to buy the Cribs’ records. Opening with fearsome, signature Ryan Jarman riffs, ‘Mirror Kissers’ is one of the greatest showcases of the Jarmans’ incredible craftsmanship that toys with satire. It is angsty and riot-inducing, featuring an aggressively catchy chorus done in typical Cribs style of heavily-accented speak-shout: “You aren’t allowed to say that you’re better / you’re not allowed to say that ’cause you’re the hipster type / you’re that type.” Now used frequently as the band’s set-opener, ‘Mirror Kissers’ is irony at its finest, keeping in mind that the Cribs themselves are “hipsters” and most of their fans are probably “hipsters” as well. It is a fantastic odyssey into the techniques of the “tongue-in-cheek” and a feeling of disillusionment with a subculture that, funnily enough, only became something mainstream years after this song was released, only furthering the Cribs’ prophet and deity-like status of the modern, indie-punk generation. If you were ever to break your vocal chords singing along to any song in the world, it should be this one.
Words by Cady Siregar