Selling A Vibe Lyrics – The Cribs | from “Selling A Vibe”

The Cribs are barreling toward their ninth album drop—Selling A Vibe hits January 9 via PIAS, their first full-length in five years—and the title track sneaks up like that mate who sells you on a night out, only for the vibe to curdle into something sharper by dawn.

This one’s a slow-burn confessional, clocking in around four minutes with the Jarman brothers’ signature wiry guitars twisting through hazy indie-rock hooks, all polished by Patrick Wimberly’s touch—think Chairlift’s synth shimmer meeting punk’s restless edge. It’s got that mid-tempo sway, fuzzy riffs chasing wistful vocals, blending post-punk grit with pop’s glossy undercurrent for a sound that’s equal parts nostalgic and now.

Lyrically, it’s dissecting the con of connection: those “secret highs” that mask hidden schemes, pearls of wisdom strung on bad calls, and paths that fork when you least expect. There’s regret in the drift—”We were both on the same path / ’Til something held me back”—but it lands with quiet defiance, a nod to protecting your circle amid the sellouts. Wimberly, fresh off credits with Solange and Lil Yachty, amps the intimacy, turning raw demos into something that breathes like a late-night pub yarn.

Selling A Vibe as a whole? It’s the Wakefield trio’s unfiltered family album—Gary, Ryan, and Ross Jarman channeling two decades of brotherly chaos into 12 tracks of reclamation. Born from lockdown scraps and a deliberate pop pivot (goodbye, punk-rock guilt), it celebrates the mess of loyalty over facades. Lead single “Summer Seizures” dropped back in August with its urgent buzz, while “Never The Same”—out just yesterday—flips a Louis Tomlinson outtake into stylish introspection. The rest, from “Dark Luck” to “Brothers Won’t Break,” promise that same boundary-push: unreleased gems like “Looking For The Wrong Guy” and “Self-Respect” teasing orchestral swells and no-holds-barred rants. No overblown concepts—just the Cribs owning their evolution, ditching the garage scuzz for something warmer, wiser, and wickedly catchy.

They’re storming back at peak form, post-Night Network’s under-the-radar glow and sold-out UK runs that had fans chanting for more. This feels like the Jarmans finally leaning into the pop they’d always flirted with, Wimberly unlocking doors they didn’t know were locked—proof that after 20 years, the fire’s still crackling.

Dive into the Selling A Vibe lyrics below and unpack its raw narrative. Don’t miss other Selling A Vibe tracks for more of The Cribs’ punk-pop reinvention.