McLusky

Rock is dead. No, wait: Rock is coming back. Oh!Rock is reborn. While a myriad of messy-haired rockers are getting their 15 minutes at the return-to-retro-rock arena, excuse me while I retch. Rock never went anywhere. And McLusky proves that loud and fast still rules.

This Welsh trio takes fits of racket and morphs them into musical Tourette's syndrome with hook-laden trash-talkin'. The songs are furious, and barely a note extends past the three-minute mark. And guess what else? They're fun! Alas, it is McLusky's penchant for humor that sets it apart from the "too emotionally available" sentiment of emo or the "tighten my noose" attitude of nu-metal. Take this line from the single "To Hell with Good Intentions": "My love is bigger than your love/We take more drugs than a touring funk band/Sing it!" You can't help but smile when you realize you've found the band that could make trendsters like the Strokes quake in their carefully scuffed boots. Vocalist Andy Falkous redefines the caustic caterwaul on the opening track and rings up comparisons to Jesus Lizard and the Pixies on "Collagen Rock" and "Day of the Deadringers." Of course, it doesn't hurt to have indie god Steve Albini behind the wheel to push McLusky's invective just over the edge to insanity.

McLusky Do Dallas is 36 minutes of maniacal vocals, fractured guitars, and top-heavy bass lines. Which is a good thing.