The Marshall Suite

With the release of The Marshall Suite, there are probably an even dozen comeback albums in the Fall discography. Featuring virtually a new lineup comprised of untested musicians, The Marshall Suite returns Mark E. Smith to the music industry after a debacle of sorts. Given his unswerving control of any new Fall material that appears on the shelves, it's unsurprising that this edition of the band sounds similar to its recent forebears -- this is still a shambling, energetic garage band whose members record right next to their mics for maximum speaker-thrashing. If anything, this group is even more propulsive and noise-oriented than other editions of the Fall, which suits Smith perfectly. He sounds much more focused than he's been in a while, working in that marvelous state of genius artistry that resists any attempt to explain how it's happened. The album is a three-part suite that cycles through a variety of roughshod originals and a few excellent covers (Tommy Blake's "F-'Oldin' Money," the Saints' "This Perfect Day"). In many ways, The Marshall Suite is similar to previous Fall albums -- a couple of British psychobilly stomps balanced with several experimental pieces featuring Smith ranting over a skeletal musical framework. Though it appears to usher in a new era of the Fall's incredible history, The Marshall Suite also thankfully displays that Mark E. Smith is still in complete control of his unique artistic vision. ~ John Bush