We were never ones to worship bands; we never raved about The Jesus and Mary Chain — they’re just a band, all said and done — so this new album, the first new one in 19 years, seems pretty good. Maybe diehard fans will feel differently. The main problem for the band’s Reid brothers is that they’re still making the same music after 20 years (half the 14 tracks are re-recordings of previously released material) so they’re no longer ground-breaking, but we think this is good enough to stand up to their earlier work.

On the plus side — and it’s a big plus — the sound stacks up well against the young bands we’re listening to. The two brothers are pushing 60 but the music is fresh and full of energy. You’d not guess they were veterans if you played it and didn’t know the backstory; they have the advantage of influencing many of those younger bands, of course.