Future of the Left

These Brits -- featuring two members of Mclusky, a great band that died in 2005—spit fiery, trebly guitar­rock venom with such lusty glee that following them to hell actually sounds inviting. Witness "Hope That House Built," whose menacing chug and cheeky lyrics ("Reimagine God as just a mental illness") simultaneously tickle and pierce. Virtually every minute of this album possesses a similar, economically managed anger, from the sinister, gate­blasting opener "Arming Eritrea" to the Jesus Lizard­-gone­pop of "I Am Civil Service." Evil sneers like these rarely hurt so good.

By Josh Modell