My first impression of this was "Damn, the Mekons have gone full electropop." That knee-jerk thought is mostly due to Mark Radcliffe's clearly older and British vocals, of course. He and Paul S Langley have been bounding about the British music scene since the late 70s, Radcliffe on the radio and publishing side, and Langley on the DJ and production side.

UNE Last (Townsend Music)

These deceptively simple songs hearken back to the not-exactly halcyon days of the Factory and the electrolyzing of British punk. That both Radcliffe and Langley witnessed those events and have survived to create this music some 40 years on is amazing. And best of all, the stuff is wryly grand.

Not exactly a throwback, but not headed to the future, either. UNE occupies its own strange niche in modern music, a mature reinvention of electric pop. This is the latest (but not, despite the title) release from this duo, who appear inexhaustible. One can only hope.

Not many folks make this music today, and not many made it this well back in its heyday. Perhaps some hardcore fans will find UNE's approach too gentle. I find it wonderfully generous and expansive. Lovely sounds and deft lyrics. Some things are too timeless to lose.

Jon Worley