The men from UNKLE, aka James Lavelle and Richard File, return with their third album, War Stories. Seemingly engaged in a competition with the likes of The Arcade Fire and Low to release the darkest, starkest long-player of the year. Lavelle and File win that contest, and not just by dint of the album’s title.

Easily their most explicitly rock record to date, War Stories finds UNKLE hooking up with Chris Goss. Goss, who co-produces, practically patented the concept of stoner rock with band Masters of Reality, and he’s also the reason Josh Homme pitches up on ‘Restless’. If you think Homme sounds despairing of humanity on the latest QTOSA album, believe me you ain’t heard nothing yet.

Other guests include Ian Astbury, The Duke Spirit’s Liela Moss, and Gavin Clarke, lead singer with folk miserabilists, Clayhill. Of these, it’s Astbury, perhaps surprisingly, and his haunting vocals, who steal the show. Now who’d have thunk that he’d be afforded an opportunity to match past glories with The Cult following his unwise decision to front a reformed version of The Doors?

Lavelle himself even steps out from the shadows to sing on ‘Hold My Hand’. Making his debut as a vocalist, he gives the likes of Richard Ashcroft a run for their money. And who knows, if he continues to develop his voice, perhaps a collaborator-free UNKLE album would appear more probability than mere possibility?

Serial clubbers may despair at Lavelle’s ham-fisted attempts to mix during DJ sets. But where he may fail to cut it live, on record there are few who can top JL. Now whilst that won’t mollify the haters, it’ll appeal to those with a more rounded interest in music than a bunch of vinyl geeks.

(4½/5)