Welsh band Mc Lusky comes back 2 years after acclaimed Mc Lusky Do Dallas with a new drummer and a fine third album still recorded by Steve Albini. The predecessor to The Difference Between Me & You is that I’m not On Fire was really great and head-bopping but gave the image of a band that needed to get loose from its influences, namely alternative icons such as Wire, At The Drive-in and above all The Pixies.

Influences have slid away while Mc Lusky’s abrasive sound survives. You can still feel The Pixies’ spirit in ‘She will only bring you happiness’ but the song is really addictive thanks to the sing-along quality of its chorus reinforced by a nice dose of humour. ‘Our old singer is a sex criminal…’ Conversely, ‘Forget about Him I’m Mint’ is reminiscent of Wire but also succeeds in being different at the same time.

In most songs fierce guitars, thumping bass and drums spread their sonic legs over this screaming English voice and deliver a pleasant energy. ‘Without msg I’m nothing’ and ‘That Man will not Hang’ are stand-out tracks because Mc Lusky adds a catchy and melodic touch to the energy that makes the core of most other songs. You’ll sing to the insanely repeated line ‘Everywhere I look is a darkness’. If the atmosphere is right away quite oppressive as this line underlines it, the catchy side added to the band’s sense of humour tend to ease it down. Like the name of their 1st album, songs titles are also designed to make you smile if not laugh (‘You should be ashamed, Seamus’, ‘Kkkitchens, what were you thinking ?’, ‘Your children are waiting for you to die’ which is not as great as its generation-deceiver lyrics).

The beginning of the album is truly stunning, the first 3 songs being the best ones here. Let’s not however forget ‘Slay!’ which finely carries the difference between very low and very loud to its extreme as Mogwaï likes to do for instance, as well as the grungy ‘Icarus Smicarus’ and ‘Lucky Jim’ which seethes with punk fury.

This third album is great but tends to lose its momentum on the way. As Mc Lusky Do Dallas did 2 years ago, it might find its way to top ten album lists by the end of the year though on account of its best songs.

-Blacklisted ‘be a wreck by half past ten’ Igor.