Medusa  - Can’t Fucking Win

With a cache of dirty and essential tunes that defiantly sticks two fingers in the ear comes London rockers Medusa and their second album Can’t Fucking Win on Cyberpunk Records. It has been a fair few years since their debut came out, 2006 in fact just weeks after the band formed, but no time was wasted with tours and shows across the width and length of the UK and the preparation and recording of this new release. Such care was taken on the album that it took from February 2009 until December 2010 to be completed but with production from Romesh Dodangoda (Motorhead) and an intense attention to refining their sound Medusa have created a collection of songs that burst into and wantonly linger in the ear satisfyingly.

    Medusa consists of founder and guitarist/vocalist Julian Molinero who has more attitude than a hound with a postman in his mouth, Ixxi Cowen with a deliciously vibrant line in basslines, and the crunching drums of Dan Rice who keeps it all going in the same direction. Together they form a band that gives its all but does not give a damn if you like it or not, though unsurprisingly most will.

    The album struts in with the opener Venomous and its smart but sorrowful lyrical cries over the end of what on the surface is an emotional physical situation, though one can turn it into reference of addictions of all kinds. It is instant rock running over a strong bass riff and urgent guitar strides with Molinero’s almost pleading vocals hitting the mark firmly. From this strong opener the album never slips a notch only rising in outstanding moments of creativity as in tracks like Tinkerbell, a song that plays like the ruptured outpourings of a crash between Nirvana, The Fall and Therapy?, with crashing guitars, desperate vocals and energy to burn. You’re So Lucid is a punk classic in the making,Cowen’s bass throbbing deeply in a very Distillers like track which is simply awesome, add the Weezer/Generation X sounding Pollen, and the cool punk pop ofDivorcing Thoughts, and there alone you have a release worth the entrance money. This would not be a proper review if the bouncy delight of You Can Take Anything (But Don't Take My Rum Away) was not highlighted as well with its sunny disposition instigating imagery of Molinero sitting on a terrace in the sun watching his woman being taken away whilst clutching his prized bottle, pure delight.

      The album closes on Tragic Streak, a maniacal acoustic number and looser less controlled track than those that came before, on its own it would work great but against the previous highs it does pale in impact. A minor quibble becauseCan’t Fucking Winis an album that delivers impressive variety and complete satisfaction. Lyrically the songs are inventive, witty and at times neatly cryptic but lay open to interpretation, whilst their realisation is guided perfectly by the expressive and frantic vocals of Molinero. This is a punk/rock album flavoured with uniqueness and belligerent attitude, exactly how good rock ‘n’ roll should always be like. Miss this and miss a highlight of your musical year.