What a weird, discomforting turn for MES to make after reaching some creative heights on the previous two LPs. The vitriol is back in a big way, directed primarily at the younger generation of bands that call the Fall an influence: Snow Patrol gets a mention, while “Greenway” does a subtweet-style attack on These New Puritans. But he veers between sounding completely uninterested in bothering with his performance and sounding like a slurring, phlegmy, furious mess. He even emphasizes that latter element on tracks like “I’ve Seen Them Come,” which at one point features the loud sound of what sounds like a slow, wet inhale.

His vocal work seriously undercuts what is another impressive showing by the other members of the Fall — the same lineup that recorded Imperial Wax Solvent and Your Future Our Clutter. They sound rough and ready, enjoying the sounds of hopped-up rockabilly (“Mask Search”), proto-metal (“Greenway”), and foggy new wave (“Happi Song”). The impact of those stylistic variations get lost though when you’re trying to reconcile with the wet slop that MES keeps dripping over it all.