Miss Black America - 'God Bless Miss Black America' (Integrity)
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
'I was born in a force-ten gale/It takes more than hot air to blow the wind out of my sales/And my eyesight's poor/But I am the future/Hear me roar': 'Talk Hard'
Not exactly lacking in confidence, is MBA frontman, Seymour Glass. But, then again, you don't become agitator-in-chief of Britain's most politicised rock act by keeping your opinions to yourself. And, oh yes, Seymour has opinions. Religion, love, life, death, society, politics, education... There isn't much that's spared the vitriol of the angriest man in Bury St. Edmunds.
As you'd expect, quite simply, there hasn't been a record carrying this sort of all-encompassing caustic agenda since the Man-erm... A bunch of wide-eyed, glammed-up Clash fans started throwing rock shapes around with gleeful abandon some fifteen years ago. But whilst the M***** set their tales of Culture, Alienation, Boredom and Despair to a torrent of chunky power chords and cod-Guns N' Roses riffs, the 'America favour a far more atmospheric, almost U2-esque brand of tuneful rock; guitarist Gish's intricate, slow-burning verses often culminating in an impassioned frenzy of a chorus.
Huge moments, churning six-string riffage and the memorable singles 'Talk Hard' and 'Miss Black America' prove the definite highlights throughout, the former number an ode to the resilience of put-upon outcasts everywhere (the act's answer to Pulp's 'Mis Shapes', if you will), the latter a rousing declaration of intent.
So, they may not be the finished article quite yet - it was always going to be tough translating their riotous live shows to long-playing record - but in a confused world where 'Pop Idol'-flop Rik Waller can get a record deal, Miss Black America are nothing less than essential. Should they hold out so long, you're only allowed to stop loving them when The Greatest Hits Tour calls into arenas nationwide in 2012 (if it, er, ever happens, that is).
Artists in this article: Miss Black America
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