a cruisy illusion (2013)

Despite knowing Beyond Living rocked hardest in 2010 and not knowing (and even kind of writing off before hearing) who the fuck The Men were until it was too late for me to hype Open Your Heart to myself as album-which-rocks-hardest-2012-edition in a way that would mean anything year-wise (though it still meant/means a lot rock-wise), I find it impossible to look at Cruise Your Illusion in isolation of The fuckin Men and everything they've done to make SST/noise rawk revivalism not utter shite (Metz etc). Initially it felt like Milk Music were kind of stepping in where The Men were vulnerable (New Moon) but now it's all become clear: this year both bands have made their heritage record, which is to say that 2013 is The Year Of Neil Young's Ghost Aka The Year Make-Pretend Classic Alt Bands Made Even More Explicit The Connection Between Something Like Dino Jr Or Husker Du And Neil Young By Sounding Like After The Goldrush Or Alternatively Zuma Depending On What Angle These Make-Pretend Classic Bands Are Make-Pretending Because The Story Of Rock Says He Invented It All Ages Ago Any Way Though The Classic Bands Weren't Really Classic Because Of Innovation But A Much Needed Return-To-Basics/Everyman Appeal Derived From Young As Like A Response To The Glitz And Glamour And Technicality And Superstardom And Misogyny Etc Of Rock At The Time Or In Sum Our New-ish Band Could Be Your Life Slash Hey Hey My My As Of 2013 Rock And Roll Still Isn't Dead

Glides and moans like Zuma and rocks noisy for a reason- (as cliched as it might be), at least it's something, and man those riffs kill

B+

rocks justifiably