Last year’s the world is still here and so are we was a lean, half-hour record that demonstrated that even a 21-year break between records couldn’t water down the rowdy, tongue-in-cheek, blistering chaos of the band’s style, earning a slot in their discography alongside a classic like McLusky Do Dallas.
It seems that McLusky weren’t completely content to leave the album on its own while they went out on tour, because less than a year on from its release they have already followed it up with i sure am getting sick of this bowling alley, a six-track EP (or “mini-album” as described by the band).
The EP picks up mostly where the world is still here left off, but burrows into weirder and more unhinged territories. McLusky have always been a sarcastic group with a notable sense of humour, but this latest EP feels like walking in on a room of three guys laughing hysterically at a blank wall. There’s a real sense of delirium across the six tracks on the project that makes the whole project feel like a journey, despite its brief 13-minute runtime.
While the record does push into chaotic territory, the actual sound of these tracks doesn’t stray too far from what you may expect from the band. Opener “I Know Computer” is driven by a grimy but thin bassline, persistent drums and high-pitched, disjointed guitar. “Fan Learning Difficulties” is perhaps the most hysterical of the six tracks, with vocalist Andrew Falkous flipping between sarcastic squealing and wild yells, joined by janky guitar plucking that swaps to pummeling blasts on a dime.
The closing track “That Was My Brain On Elves” is a sparse and slow little ditty reminiscent of tracks like “Fuck This Band” from previous records. It’s an off-kilter ending to the project, both funny and slightly unsettling thanks to lines like “It made me think about death / but not in a way that would make you unhappy”.
I sure am getting sick of this bowling alley is another strong entry into McLusky’s catalogue of irony-drenched noise rock. Tracks like “As A Dad” and “Hi, We’re On Strike” stand up there with some of the best tracks on the world is still here, and maybe even with some of their best songs period. It’s brief, and perhaps maybe pushed its sound too far to bring in many new listeners, but for those that enjoyed their previous records it’s certainly a great time.
