- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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These aren't indelible tunes like "At Home He's a Tourist" or "Suspect Device." But months later they're still getting not just stronger but rawer, which isn't how this game usually works.
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This stellar, adventurous album just may be the best thing they've attempted since 1989's "The Mekons Rock'n'Roll."
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Shows that Jon Langford’s voice has lost bite but gained growl.
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This is Mekons as Mekons cover band, time traveling backwards, picking up their own past selves and fast forwarding to a time that needs them once again.
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UncutThey remain funny, fly and fit for the future. [May 2004, p.104]
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These are authentic punk anthems, played by a band who actually knows how to play their instruments now.
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Mekons are the equal of any post-punk band on both sides of the Atlantic, and they are still very serious about proving it.
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Punk Rock bears little resemblance to the commodified dross that passes for punk in 2004; it's proud, smart, defiantly working-class stuff that'll remind you why the movement mattered.
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In the band's able hands, the music still sounds dangerous, unpredictable, and potent.
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Some of the songs have aged better than others, making this a better album for longtime fans than for newcomers.
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The songs aren't always as good as one might hope, especially in comparison to The Mekons' peak period.
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Even as Punk Rock shows that The Mekons have far better musicians today than when they were first fumbling around with Gang of Four's instruments, it also proves they're better songwriters.
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MojoUnessential, yes, but hardly uninteresting. [Feb 2004, p.101]
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BlenderThe surprise is that the realist rage of material they had barely thought about in years feels so right in the age of Dubya. [#23, p.106]
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Alternative PressThe recording quality is awful, but the glee with which these legends dust off forgotten gems like "Never Been In A Riot" easily makes up for it. [Feb 2004, p.76]
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The memorable, politically minded tunes are a testament to the band's bighearted collective spirit.
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If you're not already into it, you're not missing much.