THERAPY?

Hard Cold Fire (Marshall)

On early Therapy? fan favourite Potato Junkie, a bitter and twisted Andy Cairns alleged that James Joyce was fucking his sister. More than 30 years on, and Joy – the lead single from Hard Cold Fire, the Northern Ireland band’s 16th album – draws inspiration from another titan of Irish literature, Samuel Beckett (as well as Nirvana’s Breed), to profitable effect.

Hard Cold Fire finds the trio – Cairns, bassist Michael McKeegan and drummer Neil Cooper – reunited with producer Chris Sheldon to deliver an LP that’s much more in the vein of 1994 classic Troublegum than its bloated, self-indulgent followup Infernal Love: a lean 10 tracks of crisp, crunchy, punchy pop-metal crowned with choruses you’ll be humming in your sleep.

While Poundland Of Hope And Glory – an indictment of delusional flag-shaggers blessed with a title apparently pilfered from Sleaford Mods – constitutes a rare foray into political commentary, Ugly is entirely typical, from Cairns’ off-kilter solo to the bruised, slightly cartoonish self-loathing: “I punch myself in the face because I’m unworthy of your love.” Hard Cold Fire, on the contrary, is very deserving of it.

words BEN WOOLHEAD