The Last Romance

The Last Romance is the sixth studio album by Scottish indie rock band Arab Strap, released on 17 October 2005 on Chemikal Underground.

The Last Romance
Studio album by
Arab Strap
Released17 October 2005 (2005-10-17)
Studio
GenreAlternative rock
Length35:54
LabelChemikal Underground
Producer
Arab Strap chronology
Monday at the Hug & Pint
(2003)		 The Last Romance
(2005)		 As Days Get Dark
(2021)
Singles from The Last Romance
  1. "Dream Sequence"
    Released: 2005 (2005)
  2. "Speed-Date"
    Released: 2006 (2006)
  3. "There Is No Ending"
    Released: 2006 (2006)

Vocalist Aidan Moffat stated that the album is "a lot more upbeat, but still deals with some of the darker aspects of relationships. It's like the dark side in Star Wars though – quicker, faster, more seductive."[1] Moffat also noted his desire for the album "to be shorter, more immediate. If our previous albums could be considered 'hard work', I wanted this one to be a slap in the face. I felt it was important we didn't make the same album over ten years, so this one was going to be more digestible and a lot louder."[1]

Following the album's release, Arab Strap announced that it would be their last. Moffat stated that: "there’s no animosity, no drama. We simply feel we’ve run our course. The Last Romance seems the most obvious and logical final act of the Arab Strap studio adventure. Everybody likes a happy ending."[1]

Overview

The Last Romance maintains the snide lyrical style common to Arab Strap, while adding a more optimistic tone in certain songs, such as "There Is No Ending". There are only 3 acoustic songs on this album, which has a rock-oriented sound, with influences from bands like Mogwai.

The sleeve artwork on the front contains a collage designed by Australian illustrator Rik Lee, whose previous work features many of the images seen on the sleeve artwork. The inside contains the lyrics hand-written in a notebook-style layout.

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Alternative Press4/5[4]
The A.V. ClubB+[5]
Mojo[6]
NME8/10[7]
Pitchfork8.0/10[8]
PopMatters9/10[9]
Q[10]
SpinB[11]
Uncut[12]

In December 2009, The Skinny placed The Last Romance at number 25 on its list of "Scottish Albums of the Decade".[13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Malcolm Middleton and Aidan Moffat

No.TitleLength
1."Stink"2:16
2."(If There's) No Hope for Us"3:57
3."Chat in Amsterdam, Winter 2003"3:19
4."Don't Ask Me to Dance"4:00
5."Confessions of a Big Brother"3:36
6."Come Round and Love Me"2:58
7."Speed-Date"3:07
8."Dream Sequence"4:15
9."Fine Tuning"2:54
10."There Is No Ending"5:33
US edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."El Paso Song"3:57
12."Go Back to the Sea"3:53

Personnel

Credits for The Last Romance adapted from album liner notes.[14]

Charts
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[15] 68
UK Albums (OCC)[16] 199
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[17] 22

References
  1. "The Last Romance Press Release". Chemikal Underground. Archived from the original on 23 September 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  2. "Reviews for The Last Romance by Arab Strap". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  3. Kellman, Andy. "The Last Romance – Arab Strap". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  4. Heisel, Scott (23 May 2006). "Scottish miserablists come on and (almost) get happy". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on 20 October 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  5. Modell, Josh (14 March 2006). "Mogwai / Arab Strap: Mr. Beast / The Last Romance". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  6. "Arab Strap: The Last Romance". Mojo (144): 112. November 2005.
  7. "Arab Strap: The Last Romance". NME: 45. 12 November 2005.
  8. Murphy, Matthew (18 October 2005). "Arab Strap: The Last Romance". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  9. Lomas, Michael (20 February 2006). "Arab Strap: The Last Romance". PopMatters. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  10. "Arab Strap: The Last Romance". Q (233): 148. December 2005.
  11. "Quick Cuts". Spin. 22 (3): 95. March 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  12. "Arab Strap: The Last Romance". Uncut (103): 109. December 2005.
  13. "Scottish Albums of the Decade". The Skinny: 10. December 2009.
  14. The Last Romance (liner notes). Arab Strap. Chemikal Underground. 2005. CHEM082.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  16. "Chart Log UK: A – Azzido Da Bass". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  17. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
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