Album Review: Psychocandy: Live at Barrowlands by The Jesus and Mary Chain

There was no template for the Jesus and Mary Chain to follow. Pitting the melodicism of California’s Beach Boys against the grit of New York’s Velvet Underground and the Ramones, the Scottish brothers William and Jim Reid were leather-clad rebels ready for a knife fight. A volatile concoction of warring siblings, distortion and swagger, Psychocandy, their 1985 debut, gutted listeners who willingly laid prostrate while bleeding out to this sonic concoction.

Full Review >>

The Jesus And Mary Chain rapidly hit the headlines thanks to their classic, feedback-drenched debut 45, Upside Down, and their riot-strewn early gigs, many of which ended in chaos after barely 15 minutes. So dark was the cloud of nihilism initially hanging over the band, however, that even many of their supporters believed they’d expire just as quickly as they blazed into life. Yet, against the odds, the band’s nucleus – perma-squabbling Scottish siblings Jim and William Reid – stayed together to record six LPs before finally splitting in booze-soaked acrimony after 1998’s poorly-received Munki.

Full Review >>

JAMC’s Wall Of Sound classic revisited. Though they leave the stage after barely 27 minutes and just sevensongs, just like they used to in 1984, no one riots.. ADVERTISING inRead invented by Teads.

Full Review >>

Of all the bands who've returned in recent years to perform their critically acclaimed 'seminal' album, The Jesus & Mary Chain's decision to tour Psychocandy was probably the most well received. Released 30 years ago amidst a musical backdrop still under the spell of Live Aid, its devastating effect has caused severe ripples ever since, changing the face of guitar music in the process. Cited by many artists as their raison d'être, Psychocandy's status as a bonafide game changer remains.

Full Review >>

As a band that made their name at the cutting edge of the post-punk movement, a band revered for sounding genuinely new and original, The Jesus and Mary Chain seem unlikely candidates for nostalgia. Yet here we are, listening to a live album recorded at a show celebrating an album's 30th anniversary. .

Full Review >>

A Hand Through The Cellar Door finds Luke Temple stripping down his performance to the bare minimum. Subtle acoustic bass, quiet drums and occasional string and piano accents support his strummed acoustic guitar, leaving his quiet, expressive singing at center stage. Temple is a literary writer, and many of these songs sound like short stories set to music.

Full Review >>