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Music super-groups rarely dazzle listeners.

Not quite a super-group, British indie rock band The Cribs have sought riff-support from guitar legend Johnny Marr (The Smiths, Modest Mouse) and production contributions from Nick Launay (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Supergrass) on their latest album, Ignore the Ignorant.

Ignore the Ignorant remains true to The Cribs’ UK roots:  Ryan Jarman’s limey accent and dawdling vocal performance resembles other British whiners such as Thom Yorke, Chris Martin and Noel Gallagher.  But, unlike the aforementioned, Jarman is not a musical genius.  His lyrics are far from profound, and his vocal melodies fail to strike a chord with any deeper human emotion.

The same is true for the instrumentation on Ignore the Ignorant.  The Cribs echo tones and styles of bands such as Kaiser Chiefs and Joy Division, but never go beyond what their UK comrades have done before.  While it’s not easy living up to the traditions of the many Brit rock greats, The Cribs latest effort falls flat — a disappointment for a band that sounded so promising two years ago.

Most songs from Ignore the Ignorant are predictable.  The only redeeming quality of the album is Marr’s performance, which include his trademark guitar techniques: sweeping riffs and harsh chord strikes followed by slight vibratos on his guitar’s tremolo bar. Listen closely. You might be able to catch a glimpse of a guitar god behind all the clutter.