This is almost too much to take. I mean, your reviewer's just about got over the idea of jaggy Scots' noiseniks Biffy Clyro having (ulp) chart success with their last single, when all of a sudden - of all people - obstinate, noisy Welsh scuzz-rockers MCLUSKY seem to be gearing up to become media darlings. And this from a band whose ancestors would logically include obscure thorns in the side like Death By Milkfloat, Bob Tilton and A Witness. Guess what the common denominator should be? Absolutely shag all chance of chart success, except perhaps in Lithuania in February.
So what's with all this 'selling records' business? It brings out mixed emotions in your reviewer. His first reaction reminds him of Mark.E.Smith when he said: "That's what bloody 'Smash Hits' does for you"; yet, when we ask the question: should we fling this grittily tuneful filth at our pop kids, the answer is surely - why not?
Because, "She Will Only Bring You Happiness" is an (almost) joyfully mellifluous three minutes or so, thrumming away like The Wedding Present did when Albini was also producing them and they were being all stony faced on TOTP circa "Brassneck". By Mclusky's exacting standards, it's pretty linear stuff, and if anyone can beat Andy Falkous singing : "Note to invading aliens, avoid this town, like this town avoided us" this year then....well, I'll finally clear our garage out. The fact they've neutered the kiss-off line to "our singer is an ex-criminal" (from "sex criminal") also suggests they expect airplay. Blimey.
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Shame they can't keep it up with the uber-scuzzed B-sides where the familiar dastardly time changes, lo-fi schtick and backs-to-the-audience whining makes The Pop Group sound like Eurovision entrants. Still, "Dave, Stop Killing Prostitutes" is a great title and the track does feature helium-style vocal shadings that sound like Pere Ubu's David Thomas suffocating a Martian. Which is invariably a good thing.
Anyway, the wider audience out there won't judge Mclusky on their B-sides and "She Will Only Bring You Happiness" could well be where the weird turn pro. Worse things have happened at sea.
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