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 25th anniversary re-release of Munki, simultaneously The Jesus And Mary Chainβs most powerful album and their epitaph all at once. Itβs 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 Sandovalβs snowdrop-soft vocals on the gorgeous βPerfumeβ.
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 βCracking Upβ 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 albumβs bookends, βI Hate Rock And Rollβ and βI Love Rock And Rollβ β sibling pettiness at itβs finest! β but by the albumβs 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 itβs not essential, unless youβre a super fan, itβs a pleasing listen and a worthy release.
ArtistΒ Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN – MUNKI
John Porter