You would say that in 2017 Mark E. Smith has plenty of topics to kick into: England, the world in general and the music world in particular. But his band's 32nd album The Fall sounds like nothing more than a weekday office day. A record full of tried and tested styles such as repetitive garage rock, rockabilly, (post) punk and craziness. In Gibbus Gibson, notorious drunkard and chain smoker Smith
… even tries to sing for a while, but he has done that in the past too. Smith recites, rages and raves, with his worn-out voice, but remains almost unintelligible. The line-up on New Facts Emerge has been together for 10 years, only keyboardist (and Smith's wife) Elena Poulou is no longer there. Smith who in the past wore out more band members than shoes, might have to look out for some fresh blood again. This line-up starts to sound like a well-oiled and obligatory rock band. And that does not do the once so powerful and unconventional The Fall any good. (MR)more
