290) The Fall - Re-Mit

Album thirty is upon us and they have been going thirty-four years by this point and for the first time ever they have the same group for four records in a row. This should have been front page news. Dave Greenway has had a bit of paternity leave and Tim Presley has stepped in for him for live gigs, but Greenway returns for this record and Presley adds his guitar to three tracks.

We start with No Respects which also has no Mark as it’s an instrumental as we enjoy a something that could have been played along in a 70’s cinema to a silent movie as the band play surf rock. Later, the exact same tune appears for No Respects Rev as Mark becomes more frantic throughout and the band build and race towards the end and Eleni decides to twiddle some knobs just like her husband does on stage.

Sir William Wray rocks from the start, they sound as if they mean business, sorry may be mentioned more than once but Greenway is inspired on this record.

Kinder of Spine is mental, Smith talks, grunts, gargles, and laughs as the band crash along behind him, one of their bizarre ones but I like it, surprise. I wouldn’t say the same for the next track Noise, nothing happens, and it just stops dead, skip Pre-Mdma Years as well.

Hittite Man has a lovely bass from Dave Spurr and Greenway goes all over the place with his guitar, before the band all shift as one before coming back. At one point Mark slurs “What about Stacey, Julie and Davey?” which on first hearing I thought he was singing about Stacey Dooley from the BBC

Victtola Time Smith sounds like Lydon speeded up from Metal Box at the start but there is a lovely nagging synth from Eleni and Keiron Melling holds it all together with focused solid drumming.

Mark is clear on Jetplane over a military beat and Eleni spoken word vocals contrast well with Mark and Greenway riffs away.

Jam Song should be heard just to think what the hell is going on. I know bands can play separately in a studio and then it’s all mixed together well this sounds as if each band member was in a different studio and has no idea what the others were doing but they have just put it together anyway, not as bad as I am suggesting, honest.

Loadstones is a wonderful way to end a record, all riffs, synths, Mark shouting over the top and then Greenway brings it back round and we go again.

This is no classic, usual stuff that was not needed but the odd moment appears, and you think, thank God we have The Fall.

Sadly, what we didn’t know was not for that much longer.

6.25/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Loadstones