Mojo Feb 2016 4**** ‘Sturdy, rousing, crank-it-up rock ‘n’ roll’

“The Waco Brothers aren’t about flawless, detailed songcraft. They’re about lager-soaked good times with just enough anxiety and doubt to make the trip worth taking.” -PITCHFORK

The Waco Brothers have been standing at the corner of punk urgency and Three-Chords-And-The-Truth country for 20 years now.

They started at a time when it was deemed patently absurd to mix the two, but the Wacos knew the score; they are different sides of the same coin, the personal wrapped in the political. They have explored dark alleys and winding gravel paths through nine releases, all with the headlights off and the pedal to the metal, worrying (and not worrying) about the end results later, and with a body of work known for the indelicate and raucous, this may be their most deliberate and punchy yet. Their Cash-meets-Clash jet engine mash-up is still there, to be sure, but with Going Down in History, the Brothers have turned their well-scuffed heels towards their roots as never before, capturing the thrill ride rush of their legendary live shows and pulsing with the energy and excitement of the first wave garage punk and ’70’s glam that first captivated singer/guitarist Jon Langford (Mekons) as an impressionable youth. Yes, the Waco Brothers are back, and in these fraught times, perhaps we need them now more than ever.