4.1 - Down the street from my old Brooklyn apartment was this late-night takeout spot with a raggedy yellow awning called the "Happy Taco." Its Chinese proprietors served up Mexican and Chinese basics, and mashed up both cuisines liberally. For example, it wasn't uncommon to order a quesadilla and find it made with rice papers instead of tortillas. Another pleasant surprise was when they gave you pork fried rice with your adjoining refried beans instead of the yellow rice that's more traditional. Despite the cultural incongruities, I liked their food -- it always hit the spot after a night of drinking. The Mekons have approached country music in a way that feels similar to how the "Happy Taco" interprets Mexican food. There's little reverence for tradition, or cultural norms. Sure, there may be whiffs of country elements on here (e.g., fiddling and bluesy guitar picking). But mostly, they smear on their own post-rock sounds, creating something messy, sometimes confusing, and overall quite compelling. Oh, and to make this record even weirder, they throw in a few spoken word asides (see "Psycho Cupid...").