Chain & The Gang – Down With Liberty… Up With Chains! (2009) [K] // Grade: A

Chain & The Gang, Ian Svenonius latest band is probably his closest to returning to the “Gospel Yeah! Yeah!” sound of the Make-Up since their break-up. Mixing Arthur Lee 60′s-esque  psych with a heavy helping of Garage & R ‘n B, Chain & The Gang take it one step further from revivalist to dead-pan Mock ‘N Roll that perfectly suits the bands lyrical agenda.

The lyrics are unbelievably self-absorbed, pretentious, full of pseudo-intellectual ideals and conspiracy theories that are amusing and utterly amazing. As always Svenious is hard to take seriously, yet entirely believable in his critique of not only societal institutions and their practices, but any self-serving idealistic call to arms against them. Tongue planted firmly in cheek Down With Liberty is a discourse on why the revolution always fails, as much as it is a love letter to the concept of revolution.

- My Pal the Crook