Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros Are Just About the Only Band that Really Matters These Days

Global A Go-Go Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros (Epitaph/Hellcat) A similar, more mature fusion of styles can be found on Global A Go-Go. The album opens with "Johnny Appleseed," an exhilarating folk song reminiscent of Paul Simon's Graceland in its near-orgasmic African chants and hammering guitars. Right off the bat Global exerts the intensity that was sorely missing from Strummer's first comeback album, 1999's Rock Art and the X-Ray Style.

True to its name, Global continues to draw on musical influences from across the world; Strummer borrows and blends rhythms from Jamaica ("Cool 'N' Out"), India ("Shaktar Donetsk"), Brazil ("Bhindi Bhagee"), Cuba ("Mondo Bongo"), Ireland and even Yugoslavia over the album's 11 tracks. The best example of this sonic chemistry experiment is the last track, "Minstrel Boy," a half-reggae, half-Celtic symphony that would be reduced to elevator music in the hands of less competent musicians.

Strummer's lyrics have never been stronger, conveying the need for multicultural unity in many songs but also showing great compassion in tunes like "Bummed Out City," an acoustic rocker about forgiveness and healing. It's Strummer's warmth and humanity that makes this new disc such a rewarding listen, and while the chances of a Clash reunion may be as hopeless as ever, Global A Go-Go will prove to any fan that Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros are just about the only band that really matters these days.