Mekons – Fear And Whiskey

For those who passed on 1985’s there-and-gone vinyl or ’89’s contextualizing value-pak Original Sin, here’s yet another iteration of this seminal alt-country touchstone. Its roguish charm and unkempt forward lurch remain resilient and undiminished, and its doomed but undaunted worldview — a last stand against Thatcherite despond and American hegemony in an abandoned Hollywood backlot — is just as relevant 15 years on, perhaps more so. Over the ensuing period, co-leader Jon Langford has been responsible, either directly or indirectly, for more quality music than almost any other artist; Fear And Whiskey is the towering summit from which he launched this impressive run. Honestly, if I haven’t already convinced you, I may as well pack it in.