There are a handful of artists I regard as true creative monsters despite the fact that they aren’t household names or ringing up SoundScan like a vintage Eight Ball Deluxe machine. Jon Langford certainly has earned a spot on that list. What hasn’t this guy done? From his work the Mekons to his later bands like the Waco Brothers and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, from his anti-death penalty The Executioners’ Last Songs project to his solo endeavors, his musical output alone is daunting. Then there’s his artwork. And his comic strip. And…well, you get the point. Not to mention he’s a really cool guy, as evidenced by his willingness to correspond with a certain dunderheaded blogger who once fancied himself “the next Dylan.”

On August 24th, Jon Langford and his new backing band, Skull Orchard (featuring Wacos Alan Doughty and Joe Camarillo), will pull back the curtain on the next stage of Langford’s musical evolution, Old Devils. If the Billy Bragg-ish lead single Getting Used To Uselessness is any indication of what’s in store, it’s gonna be a helluva ride. The country and folk touchstones are well-represented, but Skull Orchard provides a certain lean muscularity to the proceedings that has been suppressed on many of Langford’s recent, more nuanced records. Of course, Langford’s working-class Wales snarl and dark-as-a-dungeon sense of humor remain firmly intact, leaving no question as to his sociopolitical leanings. Watch it, this one will get stuck in your head.

At this point, Langford has precious few true peers, but the conciseness and inspired performance of Getting Used To Uselessness call to mind the work of another fella who’s doing alright for himself these days, Alejandro Escovedo, right down to those handclaps. And one more thing. For you vinyl fiends out there, Old Devils will be available as a limited edition LP that includes a digital download card, two bonus songs and extra artwork. Nice.

MP3 : Jon Langford and Skull Orchard – Getting Used To Uselessness