Lol Tolhurst x Budgie x Jacknife Lee – Los Angeles

The post-punk boom of the last five years has seen a legion of up-and-coming young bands look to the 70s and 80s for musical inspiration – but it’s not just the newcomers who have a say in future of the genre. Lol Tolhurst (founding member and ex-drummer of The Cure), Budgie (former Siouxsie and the Banshees drummer) and producer Jacknife Lee have formed a supergroup trio on Los Angeles, an album that celebrates their respective musical legacies and takes post-punk to new, experimental places.

This collaborative feel is taken even further as they bring in members of bands new and old to feature on almost every track, including but not limited to IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen (who brings his noise-rock sensibilities to Uh Oh), Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, U2's The Edge, and Mary Lattimore. Los Angeles thrives on the innovative, percussive blend of rock and electronica that expands the horizons of what we know as post-punk.

There are times when this commitment to innovation and experiment costs Los Angeles its ability to hold the listener’s attention. The title track, for example, feels unnecessarily drawn out, losing a certain accessibility rather early on in the album. Even so, Los Angeles proves that each artist on the record is a visionary in their own right, as they push the boundaries of the past whilst looking to the future.

Listen to: Uh Oh, This Is What It Is (To Be Free)