Echo and the Bunnymen have essentially lived off the critical acclaim of one album, but as brilliant as Ocean Rain may have been, Ian McCulloch has yet to write anything that comes even close to rivaling his 1984 magnum opus “The Killing Moon”.

The Fountain begins much like it ends, with a whimper.

Opening track “I Think I Need It Too” has the same generic mass appeal of every U2 and Coldplay song ever written, but lacks the social relevancy needed to inspire anyone under the age of 50.

“Shroud of Turin” is almost as unimpressive as its real world counterpart, as a beleaguered McCulloch questions the many limitations of a supposed omnipresent being, “Never happens when you want it to/Never does what it’s supposed to do/It’s never good enough to see me through.”

If you happen to live in California and are willing to put up with a pompous Ian McCulloch’s incredibly arrogant stage banter, then watching Echo and the Bunnymen perform live just might be right up your alley.

Wade through a sea of uninspired new material before McCulloch proudly announces that he will be playing the “greatest song ever written”, and believe me when I say that “The Killing Moon” lives up to every bit of its hype.