Over a nearly dub rhythm, The Mekons give a history lesson in "The Western Design", the first song on their first album for Fire Records. The marriage of these venerable punks and the imprint makes perfect, wonderful sense. And Horror, the resulting child of this union, is a special thing on every level.
The sound here in 2025 is robust. Always fans of the juxtaposition between heady lyrics and fiery intent, The Mekons craft music that sounds like life. Newcomers may hear snatches of Joe and Mick in the plaintive "Glasgow", or a Pogues-y violin in others here, but Langford, Timms, and crew have been chasing their ghost of a muse for five decades, and never once has the determination in their vision flickered in the wind of changing styles. From the heart-clutching "Fallen Leaves", to the clipped attack of "War Economy", The Mekons continue to cover matters of the heart and mind with the passion of war correspondents. On the correct side of the revolution since the wretched Maggie and horrible Ronnie took office, Mekons know who we're fighting, and why the fight matters. There's passion in the grooves here, and nuance. Never ones for blatant haranguing, Mekons weave their POV into pointed tracks like "Private Defense Contractor", or the anti-fascist "You're Not Singing Anymore", a highlight on Horror.
Nowhere is that deft touch more apparent than on "Mudcrawlers", a tune with references to the Irish who fled famine for safety in Wales. Mekons are tackling a serious subject, but the melody is light, catchy, and full of an invigorating energy. Things coalesce on "Before the Ice Age", with Sally Timms delivering the poetic lyrics over a tune that's complicated by noise and sonic treatments. On first listen, it's an odd choice, but on subsequent ones, the number seems to be the fitting epilogue to the journey of Horror, the claustrophobic end-point where the personal, political, and universal blend.
Any single cut here, regardless of style, is decidedly that of The Mekons. There are many angles from which to approach this band's work, and many varieties of pleasure or insight to be had by listening to their music. Horror stands then as a crash course for newbies, and a cherished thing for lifers.
Horror by the Mekons is out via Fire Records. Details below.
[Photo: Gabi Rojas]