Those quick to dismiss
Uncut as Canada's answer to
Interpol just may count themselves out of one of 2004's best post-punk offerings. In fact,
Those Who Were Hung Hang Here might be nearly as exhilarating as
the Killers'
Hot Fuss if it weren't for frontman Ian Worang's tendency to hush his vocal delivery when he isn't brooding like the '00s answer to Andrew Eldritch. In fact, "Copilot," complete with a swirling guitar rumble built atop a pulsing techno foundation, sounds like a dead-ringer for
Sisters of Mercy circa
First and Last and Always. Largely fabulous, tracks like the dark, thumping "Understanding the New Violence," and the flat-out magical "Intentions Change" -- both boasting jagged guitar lines in the vein of
U2's
the Edge or
Echo & the Bunnymen's Will Sergeant -- make for one hypnotic disc. Fans of
Joy Division,
Lowlife,
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead,
Hot Hot Heat and any of the aforementioned acts are sure to delight in
Those Who Were Hung Hang Here. ~ John D. Luerssen