Mclusky

styles: indie rock
others: Jawbox, The Jesus Lizard, Fugazi, The Pixies

Mclusky Do Dallas
Too Pure, 2002
rating: 8.9
reviewer: jean-pierre

Looking back ten or fifteen years to the early days of 'alternative' rock, it's unbelievable to see so many incredible bands play with their screams on their sleeves. No one held back and none of it was manufactured. When David Yow of The Jesus Lizard dropped his pants and jumped into the crowd to yell another verse, the audience was enthralled and scared...something sorely missing in rock these days.

Mclusky do Dallas is not just an album that brings back the days of The Pixies, The Cows and Amphetamine Reptile Records. It's a fucking great album. Wales-born and bred, Mclusky recorded their debut in 1999 that didn't make much of a dent at all due to poor distribution and a run-of-the-mill punk sound. For the follow-up, the band recorded with famed 'recorder' Steve Albini who knows a bit or two about letting bands loose and taping the results.

As sad as the so called 'New Rock' scene is, I doubt Mclusky do Dallas would have gotten the recognition it has received if it didn't get lumped into this scene (even if their balls are 100x bigger than The Datsuns). About the only thing these bands have in common with Mclusky is that they play with bass, drums and guitars.

And bass is where it's at apparently. Every track is bass-heavy with lots of distortion that brings a deep, pummeling sound that most albums are missing. The trio is indeed noise-rock as the Jawbox-esque "Clique Application Form" attests. But the band is capable of rocking out and writing quasi-melodic songs as well such as "What We've Learned" and "Alan is a Cowboy Killer."

At the end of the day, what separates Mclusky Do Dallas from all of the shit being passed off as punk or heavy rock is their sense of humor and their ability to not take themselves seriously. The how-did-it-ever-happen accidental single "To Hell With Good Intentions" has one of the most unlikely memorable lines repeated throughout: "We do more drugs than a touring funk band...Sing It!"

The fact that Mclusky have developed a decent amount of buzz for this album is further proof that people want balls in their rock again. May Mclusky Do Dallas be the start of something better.

1. Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues
2. No New Wave No Fun
3. Collagen Rock
4. What We've Learned
5. Day of the Deadringers
6. Dethink to Survive
7. Fuck This Band
8. To Hell With Good Intentions
9. Clique Application Form
10. The World Loves Us and Is Our Bitch
11. Alan Is a Cowboy Killer
12. Gareth Brown Says
13. Chases
14. Whoyouknow