Best of 2020 #8: Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today (Domino)

Detroit's post-punk masters Protomartyr have long been a favourite of mine. I picked Relatives in Descent for my best of in 2017. This years album, Ultimate Success Today, has the band in familiar brooding post punk territory, but also sees them pushing in new directions. Some of the punchy, blue-collar noise punk of Idles has begun creeping into their songs. And this album has a decidely freejazz feel to it, with blaring saxophone somewhere in every song. Bandleader Joe Casey's howling and obscured vocals echo Ian Curtis and Mark E. Smith most of the time. This is angry, despondent and defeated inner city post punk at it's best.