Retreat from Memphis

Mere months after releasing "I Love Mekons," Jon Langford and crew respond with their 18th disc since 1979. Still reeling with a wry laugh from their brush with the major leagues at the turn of the decade, here they've downsized to a five-piece, ditched the musical eclecticism, and returned to tough, direct rock & roll delivered with laissez-faire punk passion. "Spinning Around in Flames" and "The Flame That Killed John Wayne" are classic Mekons. --Jeff Bateman