MIDVALE, UT — Last month, Carpenter Brut released his fourth full-length studio album, Leather Temple. The album, which concludes a series that has been going on since the release of Leather Teeth in 2018, has seen perhaps some of Brut’s biggest hits, including songs such as “Cheerleader Effect” and “Night Prowler.”
The album, which comprises 10 tracks, is unique when compared to the previous entries in the series—none of the tracks have vocals. While this may discourage some from engaging with the album, it does not impact the quality of the music. In fact, in some ways, it surpasses its predecessors, as there aren’t really any songs that feel like “filler.”
Furthermore, some may have a separate reservation about the album—in the marketing for two of the singles, AI was used to assist with the music videos. This is certainly off-putting. For me personally, it did impact my enjoyment of the tracks that had the videos in question, but it does not appear that there was any AI used in the music itself. Additionally, even though the album artwork looks fairly reminiscent of AI art, as far as we are aware, it is entirely human-made.
Despite the lack of vocals, this album is unique among others in that it is meant to tell a story. Without the booklets provided with the physical copies of the album and the music videos, it may be difficult to discern what is happening in each song, but it is there nonetheless. On top of this, it is meant to continue a story from the previous two albums, which might make listeners feel more frustrated at the lack of vocals.
Perhaps surprisingly, the album is incredibly energetic and engaging despite the apparent lack of story within the album itself. Continuing the trend started in the previous two albums, it contains a shift toward fast songs with metal riffs, which works well throughout. Some songs in particular—“Leather Temple” and “Speed or Perish”—stand out as especially engaging, being exemplary of the general tone of the album.
Despite the album being engaging, however, it still felt difficult to move past the AI music videos and marketing used in lieu of actual art. Memories of the videos utilizing AI tools permeated the songs that had the videos attached. The album itself was impressive, but as noted earlier, knowing that AI was used made it difficult to fully enjoy. This may not be a problem for some listeners. At the same time, for an album that revolves around criticism of certain wealthy individuals—who also famously use AI—it almost felt hypocritical.
There is yet another issue that those interested in the album continuing a story from the previous two albums may find: the “lore” of the album feels less cohesive with its predecessors than they were with each other. Where the previous two felt connected, this album is meant to take place in the future with a cyberpunk-esque setting, which is a stark departure from the more grounded setting of Brut’s earlier albums. This shift makes it feel as though the story has “jumped the shark,” which is not necessarily beneficial for plot-driven media.
Despite these criticisms, however, it is still an album worth listening to. This trilogy of albums is consistent throughout, and for those who can look past the AI usage, it improves progressively across releases. In addition, the three albums all have standout moments that will have fans of energetic music returning in an effort to relive the experience of hearing them for the first time. While the album may not garner as much acclaim as Brut’s last project—a trilogy of EPs—it is likely to remain a fan favorite.
