Review
Future of the Left
Travels With Myself and Another

It doesn't look like a man. It doesn't talk like a man.

But does it fuck like a man? Does it? Does it fuck like a man?

It doesn't smell like a man. It doesn't taste like a man.

But does it fuck like a man? Does it? Does it fuck like a man?

Wise words there from album highlight "You Need Satan More Than He Needs You," an ode to everyone who is trying to balance a sincere belief in Satanism with the need to find a decent babysitter. Really, this is everything you'd need to read before deciding to invest in Future of the Left's latest record. But I have a few extra minutes free in my day so I'll indulge you with a little more wordplay.

For those of us fortunate to be around for the British rock/metal scene of the early years of this century, there were a lot of well-hidden gems around to enjoy. One of the more prominent of these were angular Welsh punk rockers mclusky - they were angry, angry young men. There were also funny, inventive and fresh as hell. Following on from their collapse, two of the members formed Future of the Left to a backdrop of a swiftly diminishing national scene and the adoption of their own seemingly cynical and bile-driven worldview by much of the rest of the population. Their debut release Curses was an excellent fusion of the mclusky sound with a more Shellac-style obtuseness and the occasional keyboard riff.

While there's no massive change in schematics for Travels With Myself and Another, Future of the Left have upped their game from no-scene darlings to genuine contenders as British export frontrunners. In a sense it's more of the same, with this release perhaps being more approachable and direct than anything from either this incarnation or mclusky. The almost pop-punk bouncing fury of songs like "Arming Eritrea," "Throwing Bricks at Trains," and "Drink Nike" slide slickly out of the speakers, contrasting excellently with Falco's slightly demented and surreal invectives. It's a strange thing to write of this record that it sounds slick, because as the same time there's an overriding sense of raw immediacy that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the little twinkling lights finally blink out.

There's less of an experimental direction this time around, although the aforementioned "You Need Satan More Than He Needs You" is suffused through with almost Moog-esque keyboard squelches, while first single "The Hope That House Built" builds itself around something of a more fashionable indie shuffling beat - belying the nihilistic lyrics and firmly counter-culture ethos that perhaps unconsciously pervades the whole release.

For a band who have made their mark in the live setting with a trademarked engaging delivery and a damn fine line in witty banter, it's pleasing to know that they can deliver consistently on record as well. This is something rare within modern rock stripped-down yet fine-tuned, driven yet intelligent and an easy contender for my album of the year so far. It's a full ten-second scream to the face in the form of a thirty-minute album and it feels damn good.