Echo & The Bunnymen — The Fountain

The Fountain

Fontana North

Steve McLean (CHARTattack)

10/16/2009 2:39pm

The Liverpool, England band's 11th studio album is their first since 2005's underrated Siberia, and singer Ian McCulloch calls it the group's best since 1984's landmark Ocean Rain. He may be right.

The Fountain opens with lead single "Think I Need It Too," an up-tempo rocker that has a trace of The Jesus And Mary Chain residing within it. "Do You Know Who I Am?," a hooky pop song with sweeping keyboards and jangly guitar from Will Sergeant, seems like a logical second single. More great musicianship can be found on the cheeky "Shroud Of Turin." The piano riff on "Proxy" reminds me of Mott The Hoople's "All The Way From Memphis," and the song also has subtle but nice backing harmonies.

"Life Of A Thousand Crimes" and "Drivetime" are what you'd expect of Echo & The Bunnymen. The 10-song album ends with the soul-baring acoustic guitar and piano-based ballad "The Idolness Of Gods," which shows a different side of the group.

While The Fountain sags slightly in the middle with the title track and "Everlasting Neverendless," it's refreshing to hear a band with a renewed sense of excitement 30 years into its career.