The tracklist for the Fall’s 32nd album made headlines when it was first announced, thanks to a song called Victoria Train Station Massacre – a title which had unfortunate, accidental, parallels to the Manchester terror attack. The song itself turns out not to require that additional allusion to deliver something disturbing, with its chilling refrain of “I crave drama” and a midway flip into reverse – a style that has long enjoyed satanic connotations. The eeriness creeps into other tracks too: Segue is skin-crawlingly lo-fi, while Couples Vs Jobless Mid-30s sports cackling submerged under the chugging guitars. Yet there is lightness too – bright, poppy riffs on Second House Now and O! ZZTRRK Man bulldoze Mark E Smith’s slurred vocals. Despite their past volatility, these days the outfit have a relatively stable lineup – although scholars will note that Smith’s wife, keyboardist Elena Poulou, has now left. It doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect on New Facts Emerge, however, which continues to plough a familiar, fractious furrow.
