53. The Jesus and Mary Chain - "Glasgow Eyes"

It may seem counterintuitive, but The Jesus and Mary Chain have made a nostalgic self-referential album. For decades they have fiercely resisted the urge to look backwards. During the first iteration of the career, they produced a flurry of four albums that consistently shifted in style and tone, never once taking a cursory look over their shoulder to where they had been before. But now as the second stage of the career overtakes the first for longevity, they have become reflective and introspective.

Marking their 40th anniversary, “Glasgow Eyes” is a retrospective of the various places they’ve been before. It has all the hallmarks of previous records in the shape of fuzzy guitars, dark Electronica, and slurred soliloquies. The process of reviewing their past exploits seems to have revitalised them and this is a vital and sizzling record full of energy and swagger. It acknowledges their legacy by finding new ways to build upon it and shows that even though they are talking about their past they still have new things to say.