Disappointing. The first two records Mission of Burma made after
reuniting, especially ONoffON, were astounding. They sounded as urgent
and vital as anything the band made in the earlier days, perhaps even
better: angrier and more angular, with a desperation that so many
comeback albums lack. But The Sound is ordinary and uninspired, which
is unexpected given the band’s track record. Although there are some
great moments here, unfortunately The Sound won’t be the first to come
to mind when you want to put a MoB record on.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2009.