The Fall
Re-Mit
Cherry Red Records
Street: 05.13
The Fall = Swell Maps + Wire
If there’s a curmudgeonly rotten bastard shouting at everybody to get off his lawn, Mark E. Smith is next door, shouting at him to just quiet down already—because he’s doing it wrong. However, Smith sounds to be in a relatively decent mood throughout Re-Mit. He’s recorded the last four albums with the same lineup. This consistency in bandmates is unusual for The Fall/Smith, so that may be a reason. By now, I’m not entirely sure if it is necessary to review an album by this band. It has a dedicated fanbase and is fairly consistent—mildly abrasive in sound, often irate in mood, vocals becoming increasingly slurred with each album. A phlegmy cough is audible toward the end of “Hittite Man,” and doesn’t sound at all out of place. “No Respects Rev.” and “Loadstones” are solid reference points for Re-Mit’s sound. –T.H.