Almost two decades since Jim and William Reid broke up the band in a cloud of acrimony following 1998’s patchy album
Munki, the Scots brothers have returned with an effort that mixes new songs with older tracks that have been reimagined, or at least re-recorded, given their penchant for mining a relatively limited tonal palette (electric guitar fuzz one moment, chiming ’60s reverb the next, though keyboards surface occasionally).
Still, the spacious, simplistic, dirty pop that inspired a generation of bedroom flailers remains, providing a propulsive hypnotic intensity, offhand guitar riffs and those wide-screen vocals.
• The Jesus and Mary Chain. Damage and Joy. Warner Music.
• Three and a half stars (out of five)
Single download: The Two of Us
For those who like: Urge Overkill
— Shane Gilchrist
