FANZINE

Now that genius Damon Albarn is (oft) a cartoon Gorilla who just made a (quite good) entire album on an iPad, it’s perhaps time to look back, to miss some of Blur’s more grunge tendencies, a sound the multifaceted Brits employed on a smattering of songs (one of which did make for a punchy World Cup anthem). Let’s Wrestle, satisfies (at least) my pining for that kind of fun, Americanized, sass-slack Brit pep grunge or whatever… And before you say wait a tootin’… yes Blur was just a jumping off point. L.W. also ride a rhythm style reminiscent of early R.E.M., with strong M. Mills-y bass lines guiding the way. It’s a jackalope, and its own thing, and if you can’t dig these spry hearts-on-sleeves Londoners, you’re either stuck-up/over-indie or minus a pulse. From Superchunk’s Merge label, here’s Nursing Home, the band’s second full LP, engineered by Steve Albini (yes I got it on vinyl, so someone else can suck my cock). -Casey McKinney

http://www.mergerecords.com/artists/letswrestle