The follow up to the critically and commercially acclaimed 'Drag Queens in Limousines' has finally arrived, and it picks up from where that album left off, and improves on it in every respect.
The main strength of Mary's work is the lyrics; rather than simplifying the lives of the characters in her songs, she puts them front and centre for all to see, warts and all. It's a disc full of grit and realism, from the filmic glimpse at the disparate lives of various people in 'Camelot Motel', to the "dirty air, dirty laundry, dirty money, dirty rain' of her Louisiana birthplace in 'Sugar Cane'.
The major development from 'Drag Queens' is the whole musicality of the disc, where the previous album was lyrically excellent, it could never be described as an easy listen as it had a definite edge. 'Filth & Fire' is a different proposition altogether, with Gurf Morlix handling the production (as well as playing a variety of instruments throughout), this is a wonderfully musical disc, with strong melodies and some great instrumentation across the 11 songs, there's lots of musical detail and the production is perfectly executed.
There are a number of guests here, most notably Slaid Cleaves on backing vocals, and Ian MacLagan with some fantastic Hammond organ.
Mary is undoubtedly one of the very best lyricists around, and the addition of Gurf Morlix has made this the complete package, this is one of the finest alt-country singer/songwriter discs you could ever wish to hear. It has depth and quality at every turn, and is a truly outstanding collection. Highly recommended. 

£13.49