The Mekons have always been a band I've appreciated and followed since their first single Where Were You. Over the years, they have released many records celebrating their love of country-inspired indie.
The Mekons have been fighting tirelessly against the forces of capital for almost 50 years. Now the British punk band returns with their new album Horror which was released today. The work deals with the darkest aspects of everyday life and combines a wide variety of musical styles such as dub, folk, new wave and Americana. Despite the serious themes, the indie veterans prove that you can still have a good time while reflecting on world-weariness.
Without going too far out on a limb, they manage to write an album that sounds relevant and fresh - with roots in punk and a foot each in folk and history. Horror is about what's in the papers yesterday, today and tomorrow. In other words, the horror of everyday life. But the Mekons wouldn't be the Mekons if they weren't interested in the causes. And as a decidedly left-wing band, they arrive at the original sin of the British Empire: imperialism. With Oliver Cromwell's concept of “The Western Design” as a starting point, the idea of viewing land as a business opportunity - and dealing with the people who live there accordingly.
Despite all the criticism, the album has a positive mood and once again they manage to make me enjoy listening to a record from start to finish.
1 Kommentar:
Thanks for this, Walter. I had no idea The Mekons were still releasing music - I thought maybe they had called it a day in the COVID-era. As you might expect, I was intrigued to listen to 'Glasgow' - a very pleasant and surprising number. Nostalgic without being overly-sentimental.
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