The fact that Mission of Burma’s second post-reunion record, The Obliterati, was so good that it ranked amongst the band’s best work was a feat few bands could pull off. Typically, when bands reunite the “new” stuff pales in comparison to the “old” stuff, but somehow Mission of Burma beat that cliche to a pulp. Now the band is faced with topping its own standard-bearer, The Obliterati, which, even as an ardent fan, I would be crazy to expect. This past Tuesday Matador released The Sound The Speed The Light, Mission of Burma’s third post-reunion LP. I’ve only given a perfunctory listen to a handful of its songs, so it’d be premature of me to claim defeat on its behalf. But I’m quite certain the first single, “1,2,3, Partyy!”, is not quite on the same level as anything on The Obliterati. Oh, it sounds exactly like Mission of Burma; it just lacks the fiery tension that catapulted The Obliterati to the top of so many “best of” lists in 2006. And on an unrelated note, Pitchfork makes you sit through ads before viewing videos? Ugh.