Streetcore was Joe Strummer’s last, and arguably greatest missive backed by the formidable Mescaleros.
Where previous chapters in The Mescaleros’ catalogue, Rock Art and the X-Ray Style and Global A Go-Go decamped to more transmigratory territories of dub/global/electronic music, Streetcore saw an evolved Mescaleros’ lace up their boots and march straight back towards rock n’ roll nirvana, with but a few stops along the way.
Written largely on the road, Streetcore is the product of a band in tour-tempered unity, playing knock down shows by night and writing in the spare moments between, helmed by one of the most iconic figures in musical history.
Opener, and first single from the record ‘Coma Girl’ is arguably its finest moment. Strummer’s Telecaster raises the curtains, captivating from the first note with his expressively urgent, yet composed guitar style, whilst his distinctive, rough, vaguely cockney accent asks for your attention in an off-hand way, self assured and imperturbable – many of the vocal tracks on the album are first takes, which lend an air of requiescence to his delivery.
As side two fades, it’s apparent that Streetcore, whilst by no means a perfect record, is well deserving of the reissue treatment.
In this popular culture of closed-loop repetition, standout albums have earned their place in history, and this, whilst plainly serving as a eulogy to Strummer, Streetcore truly is a great album, marking a long-awaited return to London Calling-worthy form.
Ultimately, Streetcore will be loved by fans of Strummer, old and new for years to come as one of the last bastions that the great songwriter’s endurance rings on from within – “the spirit is our gasoline”.
