Mclusky – To Hell with Good Intentions

One of my favorite albums of all time, mclusky do dallas, was released twenty years ago today, so I figured I’d post something to celebrate. I’ve always been drawn to acerbic pricks, and mclusky are some of the best. Andy Falkous’ lyrics, be it with mclusky, Future of the Left, or Christian Fitness, are not only cutting and often hilarious, but also have the tendency to linger in your brain. I’m not even much of a lyrics-are-king type of guy, but when you hear an opening line like, “All of your friends are cunts/ your mother is a ball point pen thief” like you do on their song “Gareth Brown Says”, I can’t help but not only chuckle, but fixate on it like a zen koan. This album is loaded with amazing tracks, the combustible punk opener “Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues”, the downtempo bitterness of “Fuck This Band”, but I went with “To Hell with Good Intentions” here. Just a wicked blast of bile and snark that feels as good an entry point as anything in their catalog. Twenty years on, this album still rips.