Album review: Echo & The Bunnymen - 'The Fountain'

Every time you buy another tepid excuse for a U2 album, it’s like you’re kicking Ian McCulloch right in his beestung lips. Back in the ’80s, British rock’s great nearly men watched inferior bands take their grandiose post-punk shtick and sell it by the cargo container while they remained a cult concern. The moment is ripe – Bono, having misplaced his knack for radio smashes, is defenceless. Time to strike! WALLOP! ‘Think I Need It Too’, the best thing they’ve done in ages. And yet, much as we want to love it, the rest is a pulled punch. It’s not that we crave olden glories; classy drivetime ballads are fine. They just have to be good. Sorry, boys – we’ll burn a few crates of ‘No Line On The Horizon’ to even the karmic balance.

Duncan Gillespie

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6 out of 10