The Soul of the Hour (Deluxe Version)

With eight previous albums in their repertoire, England’s Gallon Drunk show some staying power while making music that’s as confrontational and brawny as anything they’ve done over the past 25 years. A wide range of experiences colors their work: a brief affair with a major label, a hiatus or two (resulting in vocalist/founder James Johnston becoming a member of both Faust and Nick Cave’s band for a number of years), and the death of a band member (bassist Simon Wring in 2011). Johnston’s voice sounds like it’s got 25 years of rock ’n’ roll living left in it, with his brooding snarl still in fine form and the band’s chugging heart keeping time with roiling bass lines and punishing percussion. The first track may be one of the best things they’ve done in their career; it's a controlled and artfully staged mini-epic that starts with simmering tom drums and portentous piano and ends as a slow-rising, multi-headed creature of blaring horns and screeching vintage keyboards. Whiffs of Hendrix, The Cramps, The Birthday Party, and psych bands like Crystal Stilts waft through The Soul of the Hour, so put on yer heavy-duty party hats. No wimps allowed.