McCarthy - The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth - dLP/DL - Optic Nerve
There's a very long list of bands that should've been bigger than just a few critical endorsements and fewer sales. The other bards from Barking McCarthy were one such outfit that had more than a handful of memorable songs, a tightly-knit following and a propensity for barbed lyrics and rousing choruses.
Too late for the C86 wave and too early for Brit-pop (and too left of centre, it could be argued), McCarthy's fate was sealed in 1990 when frontman Malcolm Eden called time on their all too short career. Two of the band went on to form Stereolab (Laetitia Sadier and Tim Gane) and Eden's fine songwriting sort of sputtered to a forgettable halt.
Thankfully, Optic Nerve are remedying this sad state of affairs with reissues of the band's finest moments. After the recent expansive reissue of debut I Am a Wallet, there follows what is arguably their golden hour, 1989's The Enraged Will Inherit the Earth. Originally released by the underrated Midnight Music imprint, TEWITE is a somewhat slicker but no less angry collection of literary indie-pop belters that remain the equal of mid-period Smiths or Factory's great hopes Stockholm Monsters and The Railway Children, but with far more political bite.
Song-titles like The Home Secretary Briefs The Forces of Law and Order and Governing Takes Brains suggest that Eden's attitude to politics is much like many people's some 30-plus years later. Times haven't changed much and nor has McCarthy's relevance. As far removed from Crass' explosive protest or Sleaford Mods' carthartic verbosity as you can imagine, McCarthy's rage was polite, reasoned and subdued but no less angry. Sweetly sung opposition had rarely sounded so approachable since Bob Dylan.
As well as some absolute belters such as singles Keep An Open Mind Or Else and Boy Meets Girl So What, this coloured vinyl double includes an extra 7" and oodles of b-sides and best bits including the super frenetic Should The Bible Be Banned and its relentless flip We're All Bourgeois Now. Another satisfying package from Optic Nerve which serves to remind us all about the lost archives of Midnight Music.
Too late for the C86 wave and too early for Brit-pop (and too left of centre, it could be argued), McCarthy's fate was sealed in 1990 when frontman Malcolm Eden called time on their all too short career. Two of the band went on to form Stereolab (Laetitia Sadier and Tim Gane) and Eden's fine songwriting sort of sputtered to a forgettable halt.
Thankfully, Optic Nerve are remedying this sad state of affairs with reissues of the band's finest moments. After the recent expansive reissue of debut I Am a Wallet, there follows what is arguably their golden hour, 1989's The Enraged Will Inherit the Earth. Originally released by the underrated Midnight Music imprint, TEWITE is a somewhat slicker but no less angry collection of literary indie-pop belters that remain the equal of mid-period Smiths or Factory's great hopes Stockholm Monsters and The Railway Children, but with far more political bite.
Song-titles like The Home Secretary Briefs The Forces of Law and Order and Governing Takes Brains suggest that Eden's attitude to politics is much like many people's some 30-plus years later. Times haven't changed much and nor has McCarthy's relevance. As far removed from Crass' explosive protest or Sleaford Mods' carthartic verbosity as you can imagine, McCarthy's rage was polite, reasoned and subdued but no less angry. Sweetly sung opposition had rarely sounded so approachable since Bob Dylan.
As well as some absolute belters such as singles Keep An Open Mind Or Else and Boy Meets Girl So What, this coloured vinyl double includes an extra 7" and oodles of b-sides and best bits including the super frenetic Should The Bible Be Banned and its relentless flip We're All Bourgeois Now. Another satisfying package from Optic Nerve which serves to remind us all about the lost archives of Midnight Music.