Montreal Mirror October 29, 2003

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros
Streetcore (Hellcat/FAB)
It's hard not to look at this release as a memorial to the recently deceased Strummer, once of the Clash, but it wasn't intended as such. Objectively speaking, it's a strong third album of patchwork folk-punk from Strummer and co. (band members Martin Slattery and Scott Shields had the grim job of tying up loose ends and making the thing presentable). Its 10 tunes range from knees-up rockers ("Arms Aloft," "All in a Day") to psych-pop zone-outs ("Midnight Jam") to Strummer strummin' on his own ("Long Shadow," Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," produced by Rick Rubin). The saddest part is, Streetcore shows the band firming up into something more than simply "the Clash guy's new Clash." 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)