Mega Emotion – Move Motherfucker / Lady Di - I Know You Know I’m Perfect
Well, this is something a little different, a split LP with two bands playing different styles but both being Lisa, Jan and Iain, former members of Norwich’s much-missed Bearsuit.
I have seen enrobed, sometime jellyfish impersonators Mega Emotion a dozen or more times. At their best, they are joyously chaotic. Occasionally, though, the show can be annoyingly shambolic. What I have never doubted is the quality of the songs. I Want So Much More Than You Can Give and Prime and are synthpop in the vein of the Human League or OMD, with Laura latter adding a touch of early Madonna to the mix. BRAINS, Uncomfortable and Graceintroduce an industrial edge to things. The former, in particular, is a work of genius. Equal to if not bettering NIN’s classis Head Like A Hole, it remains one of my favourite songs seven years since I first heard it.
Flip the disc and Lady Di lose the synths and drum machines to make a tight mash-up of grunge, classic C-86, early 90s college rock and more contemporary indie. Jan is a revelation on drums while Lisa’s bass and Iain’s guitar are gloriously fuzzy and dirty. When they let rip, the vocals are far nastier than I ever expected. Young Savage and Home Alone both hint at the Delgados and Belle & Sebastian. Weasel, Mine has touches of Mogwai and Sonic Youth in the guitar parts Slime could almost be Lemmy playing with Mudhoney (which is a very good thing).
This may show two very different styles of music but both sides of this LP are formidably strong. Now, what chance a double headliner when we can eventually get to gigs again?
