SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN – MUNKI

THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN
MUNKI
FUZZ CLUB

Hot on the heels of surprise summer live release Sunset 666, Fuzz Club now bring us a 25^th anniversary re-release of Munki, simultaneously The Jesus And Mary Chain’s most powerful album and their epitaph all at once. It’s a pleasing stroll down memory lane, and still displays all the characteristics the album did back in 1998, from the snarling vocals to the brief, shimmering moments of beauty, largely provided by Hope Sandoval’s snowdrop-soft vocals on the gorgeous “Perfume”.

Normally, it would be quite hard to put yourself in the shoes of a band a quarter of a century ago, but the clarity provided by the re-release really means that the urgent, biting tension has never sounded clearer. The power of their sound, rarely fully captured on record, finally comes through here, and even classics like “Cracking Up” are all the better for it.

Overall, Munki captures the very essence of The Jesus and Mary Chain, which is, as always, two major creative forces pulling and pushing against each other, producing a brutal musical juxtaposition. This is not only exemplified by the album’s bookends, “I Hate Rock And Roll” and “I Love Rock And Roll” – sibling pettiness at it’s finest! – but by the album’s feel as a whole – crisp, clear, and very, very loud. In 2023, the band appears to have a new lease of life, and thankfully, so does this album. While it’s not essential, unless you’re a super fan, it’s a pleasing listen and a worthy release.

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