Scotland’s sometimes feuding Reid brothers William and Jim return with a strong, cohesive, candid eighth album, the first since 2017, that has as much electronica as their pioneering noise guitar, and somehow a sense of scores settled. Opener Venal Joy kicks off the album rather brilliantly combining old-school synths with a squealing noise effect and a krautrock momentum. Another mixing guitars and synths to distinctive sound is American Born, one with has a satirical sneer to it. Mediterranean X Film thrums heavily on the bass, but with a wistful vocal air, while a clear standout is a previous Song of the Day, jamcod, a mesmeric example of masterfully fuzzy electro-pop with a fabulous bassline and synthy woosh. Girl71 is a simple, but effective catchy, handclap love song. Lyrically meanwhile, Chemical Animal is particularly upfront and confessional: “I fill myself with chemicals/ To hide the dark shit I don’t show.” There are many dark-in-jokes and issues bubbling under, such as on Second of June, Jim singing “Brother, can you hear me calling you?” “All my friends are dead”, as well as band’s actual name. Amid a 40-year career of turmoil - and the title, which refers to a certain drunken, drug-addled look - this is wonderfully strong set of catchy, cleverly crafted songs, exuding some nostalgia, warmth, gallows humour, emotion and some sense of conciliation and survival. It finishes with the tribute song to their namesake too – Hey Lou Reid. Out on Fuzz Club.
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