(Vagrant)

It must suck to always be just one step behind Ian Svenonius. First, the Refused bit Nation of Ulysses, then the (International) Noise Conspiracy ripped off the Make-Up. Now, just in time for their second record with producer Rick Rubin and without original keyboardist Sara Almgren, the band seem to have picked up some Weird War LPs and a copy of The Psychic Soviet—hence the swirling psychedelica artwork, the Freemason pyramid's eye, and the crypto-mystical lyrics where there once was mod soul and anarcho-socialist agitprop. (The album's big, glossy rock sound is all Rubin, though.) Wait till they hear Spiv's new tracks with Publicist. recommended