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Brilliant! Tragic! is the fourth studio album by Art Brut, released on 23 May 2011. The first single from the album will be "Lost Weekend". The album was recorded in Salem, Oregon and is the second to be produced by Frank Black, best known as the frontman of Pixies. To accompany the album, Art Brut have compiled a comic book version of Brilliant! Tragic! to be released at the same time.

The track listing and release details were confirmed in early March 2011.

Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos has already described Brilliant! Tragic! as his "favourite" Art Brut album, saying that it was definitely their "greatest" album so far. "Bang Bang Rock & Roll did what it said on the tin", Argos explained, "It's A Bit Complicated was a bit complicated. On Art Brut vs. Satan we had to fight Satan. This one follows the same pattern, it is a 'brilliant, tragic', record. If it was a TV show you'd define it as a dramedy."

On the subject matter for the album, Argos has said; "This time the album is more about how I think I’m psychic, songs for my funeral, the principality of Sealand and Axl Rose. Weightier topics I think. I’m also sexier now" He also comments on the band's current musical direction, stating that "with the last album we'd just remembered we were a punk band again so it was all four to the floor rock out. This time there are a few songs to let you catch your breath so when we do rock the fuck out again it hits home harder."

Describing the writing and recording of the album, Argos said, "with the last album we met up every couple of months and wrote three or four songs. This time we got together in the second half of the year and wrote whenever we could 2 or 3 times a week. We had more time in the studio this time too (about a week more) so Black Francis had time to teach me how to sing. I'm very proud that I sing on it. Only took four albums to start singing, not bad." Although Argos has said that it "feels good to find out my voice is an instrument", he found the process of learning to sing somewhat "scary". "The first song we did, we recorded all the music, and then Frank was like “Everybody go home, I’m talking to Eddie,” and I was like “Oh no, what’s he going to do to me?” It was a bit scary. We went in and spent hours really, getting me to sing. Once we sort of conquered that one—and he showed me that I could sing—it was a confidence boost. I’ve always been a bit scared of singing. It’s funny, him (Frank Black) teaching me how to sing on the record. We’d play the song through, and he’d sing it, and then we’d do it again, and I’d sing. We’d either do it as a duet, or I’d copy him. If we’d just recorded him singing it and not me, we could have had a secret bonus album, but we didn’t do that. But what a brilliant person to have teach you how to sing, you know, Black Francis from the Pixies. Yeah, it’s pretty awesome".

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