Describing a sound as an amalgam of seventies glam rock, North American sleaze bands and eighties pop metal maybe doesn't sound too promising. But San Francisco's
Miss Crazy are much more than the sum of these parts.
When glam rock, teetering on its stacked heels, ran out of dreams and direction in the late seventies, it survived only by mutating into a glam/sleaze/metal hybrid, marketed with not a lot of success by a handful of US rock bands in the eighties.
You can hear distant echoes of those bands - like Kix, Tuff, Bullet Boys - in the music of
Miss Crazy.
But it's the fact that the band take the best elements of each source - simple yet infuriatingly catchy riffs and melodies, an in-your-face attitude and a tendency to dramatic, almost theatrical choruses - that makes all the difference.
In turn, this elevates
Miss Crazy from copycats to innovators, much stronger and much more confident on this, their second album.
Sonically too, the band sounds much more self assured, again thanks to Ronnie Borchert's firm hand at the studio helm.
All that said, it's the songwriting that makes the real impression.
The band has clearly accelerated up a very steep learning curve and written a bunch of classy, catchy, ballsy rock songs on the way up, peaking with several genuinely outstanding rock songs.
Buried on the second half of the album
'I Know What I Know' and
'I'm In The Mood' take a basic, bass heavy riff on a hard driving ride round a set of sensual lyrics that earn the album its 'Parents Advisory.' sticker.
But it's the openers and the closers that do the damage.
'Mow' and
'Living Without You' are the early talent. Each a hard'n'fast, rock'n'roll roller coaster with a melodic heart and a well crafted, neatly harmonised hook.
Closing duo, the wiry, barbed
'Say You Will' and the atypical, almost
Yes like
'My Shining Star' might just be the pick, though it's a close call.
Any melodic rock fan who likes his music fiery and subdued in turns, filled with good tunes, slick hooks and finely cut axework will find plenty to salivate over here.
Written by
Brian Sunday, May 25, 2008
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