May 4, 2004 by A.S. Van Dorston

Judging from the raving success of Mission Of Burma’s reunion tour, I was confident good things were to come. Mission Of Burma was such a powerful band that was fairly little known in their day, though aspects of their innovations were carried on via two notable acolytes, Husker Du and Sonic Youth. One of the first three CDs I ever bought (along with Joy Division’s Substance and Pixies’ Come On Pigrim/Surfer Rosa) was Rykodisc’s 1988 reissue of nearly their entire catalog. It was the first CD to break the 80 minute barrier. I remember reading a quote from Michael Stipe saying he was listening to nothing else. After being featured in one of the best chapters of Michael Azzerad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life, they’re finally getting the attention they deserve, 20 years after the fact.

Filling in for tape manipulator Martin Swope’s vacancy is Shellac’s Bob Weston, who played with Peter Prescott in Volcano Suns throughout the 80s. I never thought this would happen, due to Roger Miller’s tinnitus (I didn’t think it was reversible). However he’s managing to pull it off, this album is as loud and savage as early MoB, a gift from post-punk heaven. Awash in fiery guitars, “The Setup” sounds like their followup to VS. should — more challenging post-punk arrangement, with just a tad more structure and hooks. “Max Ernst’s Dream” refers to the B-side of their very first single; “Dirt” is a re-recording of a demo previous released on Peking Spring, intended for their uncompleted third album. It’s a treat to hear it in full splendor, although it would have been nice to hear others, like “Dumbells,” “Go Fun Burn Man,” “Peking Spring” and “This Is Not A Photograph.” It’s hard to say how this album will age next to other 2004 releases, but at the moment it sounds more contemporary than the decent efforts by Wire and Killing Joke. Cleansing like a spa treatment of sparks and sandpaper.

Posted in: New Album(s) of the Week, Reviews