1 2 3 4

Modern English continued looking backward and forward simultaneously in the 2020s. At the dawn of the decade, the veteran 4AD post-punk band began work on fresh material, and they eventually resumed their relentless touring schedule, especially across America, like they were trying to break it, despite having accomplished the feat four decades earlier. As indicated by the albums title and opening count-off, the band sought to document these songs to reflect their on-stage energy, and recorded them primarily live, assisted by producer and engineer Mario McNulty. The lineup is essentially the same as it was on preceding post-reunion album Take Me to the Trees: core members Robbie Grey, Michael Conroy, Gary McDowell, and Stephen Walker, joined by touring musicians Ric Chandler on drums (Roy Martin is on one song) and Daniel Jakubovic on second guitar. Greys voice is sometimes treated in a way to further emphasize the urgent bulletin-like quality of the material, but otherwise, this crackles with spontaneity, and the band at times plays with nearly the same ferocity displayed on some of their 1980-1982 output. As with Take Me to the Trees, 1 2 3 4 sounds like the inspired work of the same group that made Mesh & Lace, After the Snow, and Ricochet Days. Coincidentally, or bizarrely, or both, "I Melt with You," Modern Englishs big hit from 1982, was certified gold by the RIAA a few weeks before the album was released. ~ Andy Kellman