Won Mississippi
We Are Are We Not Natives (...)
After something of a lay-off Berwick’s finest return with a new lineup and – kind of – a new sound. With emo having somewhere gained a capital ‘E’ it’s unclear where truly emotive music fits in the great music marketplace, but Won Mississippi, happily for all, are simply continuing to do what they’re good at – writing songs light on the angst and heavy on great shuddering hooklines.
That said, they put a lot of store in their lyrical abilities, and it pays off – even the song titles (e.g. ‘Exchange Scissors For The Fosbury Flop’) indicate literate minds are ticking over in what can often be a more ‘manual’ line of work. So when Patrick Baird sings “I mourn every atom I lost the second my eyes closed”, you know he means it (man), and when the band conjure up mind pictures in the listener’s mind’s eye – “Paint a clear night sky on the underside of my umbrella” – the fact that the band are smart without being clever-clever comes through loud and clear.
This 4-piece have always conjured up surprises, usually by producing a heartfelt ballad, and …Natives is no exception – ‘Jubilee Lamp’ the song in question this time, a piano-powered piece that recalls classic-period Elvis Costello. However, it’s not all tears and souvenirs – their stock in trade is capturing their vibrant live show, and they do that consistently, nowhere more so than on opener ‘Over An Empire’ where “they scatter our ashes” and buzzsaw guitar blends powerfully with impassioned vocals. That difficult third album’s been a long time in the making, but worth every minute.
Bernhard Bessing
