The Jesus and Mary Chain

Photo credit: Genius.

It’s questionable whether or not The Jesus and Mary Chain released the second ever shoegaze album after The Cocteau Twins. Regardless, Psychocandy (released in 1985) is a fantastic album, if not haunting. In 2017, the band are intent on releasing their seventh studio album Damage And Joy; from what I’ve heard with Amputation And Always Sad, it’s going to be an eagerly anticipated return for the established band that are creating a sound rivalling today’s bands such as Ringo Deathstarr A Place To Bury Strangers. Oh, this will also be their first release in nineteen years, too. All the best bands seem to be making a return this year.

Fronted by the two brothers William and Jim Reid, the band first formed in 1983, splitting up the after their last studio album release, Munki, to eventually reform in 2007. During that time, they’ve been touring their acclaimed albums Psychocandy and Darklands. If you chose to indulge in these (which I highly recommend you do so), expect noise: a lot of distortion, detuned guitars, poignant vocals, beautiful female vocal lines and a resonating kick drum. As time went on, the band started to mellow out a bit and achieve a sense of clarity that wasn’t so much present in the previous albums. The band’s new music seems to be an indication of a change undergoing; it’s very comparable to a lot of Primal Scream’s previous work – which makes sense as Bobby Gillespie drummed for the band before he left to form Primal Scream.

One of my biggest regrets was not attending the Psychocandy tour in 2015; I best be hoping I don’t miss the band play in Bristol on the 29th of March. I look forward to hearing more of what’s to come on the upcoming album, and, of course: hearing the alt masterpieces that made the band so unique.