The Mekons

From the first droning note that opens "Hello Cruel World" through mournful closer "The Letter" (both anchored by perfectly imperfect vocals from Tom Greenhalgh), the Mekons suddenly sound completely sure of what they're doing and why. Continuing the honky-tonk flirtation that began on Fear and Whiskey without sacrificing any (well, much) of their experimental edge, the band deftly melds punk guitar, country fiddle and too many pints of beer to create something both timeless and modern. Stunning.

If the continuing existence of their music doesn't place these anti-American country-rockers squarely among the undefeated for you, the continuing eloquence of their lyrics ought to--whether it's Sally Timms trying to talk to the drunk she's stuck with or Jon Langford downing cat food because he doesn't feel human tonight, they haven't given up on saying their piece. Thing is, the listener has to concentrate to be sure, which despite the lyric sheet isn't so easy this time. That's the problem with making fatigue your great theme--it sounds tired awfully fast. (Grade - A-)