Jon Langford: Skull Orchard

Jon Langford is a Mekon, a Waco Brother, and a Welshman. This is his first solo album, and he's using it to address the decaying state of his particular British principality. In doing so, he's assembled an odd band—the drummer is from Poi Dog Pondering, the guitarist is from KMFDM, and the bassist is from Jesus Jones— that works exceptionally well together. Skull Orchard generally rocks harder and better than The Mekons usually do, and Langford's voice and lyric-based songs are far more successful at bemoaning the lousy state of Welsh affairs than they are at aping country music. This is good old-fashioned personal rock 'n' roll music about a man's industrial hometown going to hell. Skull Orchard is remarkable; Langford often boils over with hate for his home and frankly admits his inborn love in the same song, most notably on the wistful "Penny Arcades" and the bitter, anthemic "Tom Jones Levitation." It's actually a very American rock tradition, but Langford is a master at adapting those to his purposes, making rock that's as powerful as anyone's.