Nu-Clear Sounds

The band wrote at Stambridge Farm, a residential writing studio, before recording at Rockfield in early and mid-1998 with David Nicholas recording. They recorded nearly all of it live in the studio, which Wheeler said worked better than building tracks one instrument at a time. Mixing was done at the Astoria in London, and after the band were unhappy with how some tracks sounded, Morris and the band mixed the record. McMurray named the New York Dolls, the Velvet Underground and the Rolling Stones circa Sticky Fingers as inspirations. Hossam Ramzy and Dave Larkin played percussion, Wil Malone arranged strings and Dick Kurtaine scratched on Death Trip 21. Jesus Says and Numbskull were written by Hamilton.

It entered the UK chart at number seven and number eight in Scotland, and was certified gold. Jesus Says reached 15 in the UK and Wildsurf 31. In the United States it came out on 28 September 1999 on DreamWorks with a new running order and three remixes by Butch Vig. A planned tour was cut to three shows after the label's A&R person left. Reviews were generally positive but mixed on consistency, and The Guardian later described the record as thrash with an affection for the Jesus and Mary Chain.