Bleep

With almost two decades down since their last LP (1998’s Munki), The Jesus and Mary Chain become the latest canonical rock act to return from hiatus. Despite roping in new producer Youth (The Killing Joke, The Firemen), things are actually pretty business-as-usual. There are fourteen tracks on Damage and Joy and every one is an anti-pop smash; the likes of ‘The Two of Us’ and ‘All Things Pass’ are surefire summer anthems. Long-time fans will love the classic combo of Jim Reid’s kiss-off delivery, tub-thumping drums and buzzsaw guitars drenched in a sweet smog of reverb, while younger listeners will be able to enjoy a new piece from a band that have inspired so many of the new wave of British guitar rockers.