The Cribs
Selling A Vibe
Release Date: Jan 9, 2026
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock
Record label: Play It Again Sam
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Album Review: Selling A Vibe by The Cribs
Great, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 4
A fantastic entry point for new fans to get on board with the kings of underdog rock, this album showcases everything they do so well The Cribs are the best band to have never achieved any measure of significant worldwide success – but it's not without trying. They've worked with superstar producers, produced a series of superb albums with a distinctive and compelling sound, are still as rake thin as they were in their teens, dress like the The Ramones, and they even had bloody Johnny Marr in the band at one point. So yeah, if there was any justice in the world, The Cribs would be as famous, popular and financially well-compensated as many of their inferior peers and descendants.
Based on rating 7/10
The Cribs have always inspired feverish devotion amongst their fans, especially those of us who also hail from God's own county. While some may dismiss the band as a laddish offshoot of landfill indie, those of us paying proper attention are drawn in by their complete authenticity. Unlike the easily marketable London-based middle-class acts that arose in the mid-'00s, The Cribs were the real thing.
Opinion: Fantastic
The Cribs are their generation's great indie rock band of brothers, but have they ever sounded quite as fraternal as they do here, on their eighth record? It's difficult to believe that the Jarmans - singing twins Gary and Ryan on bass and guitar respectively, Ross on drums - could possibly have had some thorny personal territory to navigate between them this time around. After all, the tightness of their bond has always been at the heart of the band, and they seemed closer than on ever on 2020's 'Night Network', the album that cemented their status as indie survivors after years of Kafkaesque legal battles. This time, though, after two decades of presenting a united front against posers and industry bullshit, they've looked inwards in order to reflect upon the ties that bind the three of them.
Opinion: Excellent
The Cribs were once spoken about as the UK's most popular cult band. Lo-fi punk purveyors and producers of a sound seemingly unpolished, anthemic and full of heart, the Wakefield trio are amongst Old Blighty's most consistent indie outfits. On ninth effort ‘Selling A Vibe’ it's clear why such adoration is necessary. This time round, they are particularly thoughtful and reflective in focus.
'Selling A Vibe'
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