THE Fall, a post-punk/New Wave rock band that was popular between the late 1970s and mid-1980s. Unlike, let’s say The Police, The Fall never really broke up... just kept changing members and playing to smaller audiences.

Its music is very much like the rock bands we have playing on radio today, but unfortunately, I can’t say much about the singing. I just don’t get the style...it could be due to me being too young to appreciate such “art” but it’s probably ’cos the singer can’t sing at all.

Throughout this 14-track album, lead vocalist Mark E. Smith doesn’t really make much sense. All he does is scream or slur in a monotonous voice into the microphone. Back in his heyday his style was probably considered spectacular but to these ears, he just sounds stoned.

We’ve heard of songwriters and singers being lazy and repetitious and only concerned with having enough album fodder to cash in on but this one is just bad.

Only two songs in this album made me sit up and listen. The first was White Line Fever with its Lennon-like style and musical arrangement. At the beginning of this song, Smith actually sounds as if he could pull off a good tune by singing properly for once ... but I was disappointed. I just kept reminding myself that “at least the music is good”.

There is even an Insult Song that takes the mickey out of White Line Fever, but it fails in its effort to be witty.

The Wright Stuff was another song that caught my attention only because it has a female guest singer on vocals in place of Smith. Despite slurring a bit, she manages to enunciate every word of the song. Also, the folk-like music makes it sound different.

Don’t expect to hear any of its offerings over the radio. There’s nothing in here that would be suitable for public hearing if information gatekeepers had their way. Sorry to say it but it’s no great loss.