happymondays-uncledysfunktional music reviews Virgin Media
Now off the pills, pioneering Madchester legends return with overdue thrills
Back in the early Nineties, the Happy Mondays were easily Britain’s best band. The Stone Roses had the looks and melodies, but Shaun Ryder’s band of reprobates and their dirty, Madchester mix of house, funk and rock were the true pioneers. Since falling apart in a disturbing mess of drugs and crime, the Mondays have re-appeared in various live guises but following the end of protracted legal battles, this represents their first album since the shocker that was Yes Please! - released 15 years ago.
In the face of expectations being rather low, Uncle Dysfunktional delights in the breadth of its ambition. Its 11 tracks meander through electronic funk and country, retaining that magical Mondays swagger of old while sounding in no way anachronistic. As ever, Ryder’s filthily skewed delivery and mind-bending plays on words elevate their sound. Jellybean matches Hallelujah for baggy euphoria, Anti Warhole On The Dancefloor is as good (and as bonkers) as any contemporary electronica around while the standout is the lascivious indie-dance, sweet melodica solo and all, of In The Blood. All 30-something Mondays fans may breathe a sigh of relief.
More to try:
Happy Mondays: Bummed
Black Grape: It’s Great When You’re Straight... Yeah
The Twang: Love It When I Feel Like This
Kasabian: Kasabian
