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Andy Falkous and Jack Egglestone retired the Mclusky name a while back but, thankfully, as FOTL they haven't kicked their previous sonic habits. Like Curses (2007), Travels with Myself and Another gives free rein to the tendencies that made Mclusky great: a knack for economical, unrelentingly assaultive, absurdist songs that strike an unlikely balance between cacophony and catchiness.

The Welsh trio's pummeling intensity is still indebted to noisy US forefathers like the Jesus Lizard, Big Black and Shellac ("You Need Satan More Than He Needs You"; "Chin Music"), but they also look closer to home: the jagged, staccato stab and chanted chorus of "That Damned Fly" recall Gang of Four's doctrinaire rigidity. FOTL's uniqueness resides largely in Falkous's oblique narratives, acerbic wit and a delivery ranging from menace to frantic spleneticism, often fleshed out with bassist Kelson Mathias's vocal interplay. "Throwing Bricks at Trains" has most of these strengths and more, scoring bonus points for the finest opening line you'll hear all year: "Slight bowel movements preceded the bloodless coup." Who says poetry's dead?

Standout Tracks: "Arming Eritrea," "Chin Music," "Throwing Bricks at Trains" WILSON NEATE