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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 22. September 10 1979

Music — Running out of Steam — Graffiti Crimes

page 14

Music

Running out of Steam

Graffiti Crimes

Mi-Sex are the latest Kiwi group to hit the Australian big-time. The largest radio network in Australia, 25M, held an Australian singles competition recently but the results indicated it should have more appropriately been a New Zealand singles competition for the winners were Marc Hunters' new solo single "Island Nights" and Mi-Sex's "But You Don't Care". All in all it seems Mi-Sex are creating the same kind of storm that Split Enz and Dragon before them made.

Mi-Sex's debut album Graffiti Crimes has been awaited with a measure of curiosity. Wellington has seen little of the band since they gave up the New Zealand pub circuit and headed to more appreciative shores. The album was recorded over 4 weeks at the new, computer operated 301 studio in Sydney and produced by Peter Dawkins (the ex-Kiwi wizard who brought you "Saint Paul", and, more recently, the Dragon albums.)

Graffiti Crimes is an energetic album but its an energy that seems to run out of steam towards the end. If one were to (reluctantly) draw comparisons this album is in many ways similar to the Strangler's Rattus Norvegicus album. There is the same predominant key-board work (a la Manzarek of the Doors) and the crashing, wandering guitar work. However Mi-Sex are bursting with more energy than the often constrained music of the Stranglers.

It is Murray Burns on keyboards and synthesizers who stands out on the Mi-Sex album. At times when a song seems destined to become eaten up in its own energy it is the resorting to soaring synthesiser which saves it. But, again, that trick wears thin after a while. The mundanity of the second side probably emanates from the weakness of the songs which gather a certain predictability and sameness.

The album opens with the title [unclear: song]Graffiti Crimes and a rather neat take of those pretentious beginnings to [unclear: man] Moody Blues songs — you know, the [unclear: six] form poetry and deep God-like voice. [unclear: the] song typifies the Mi-Sex brand of music crashing, muddled guitar with keyboard weaving in and out occassionally [unclear: dim] break, soaring then weaving back into [unclear: the] texture of the song. Tight bass [unclear: and] percussion and vocals delivered in a [unclear: sol] straightness. "Wot do you want?" continues that pattern but the song [unclear: has]sufficient strength and the Mi-Sex [unclear: style] becomes a vehicle for the song. By the [unclear: end] of the album the position has been [unclear: ree] and the songs become the mere vehicles [unclear: to] the Mi-sex formula.

But You Don'tCare is the single off [unclear: the] album. Easily the strongest cut-the [unclear: Got] like keyboards seem appropriate for [unclear: ly] that remind one of a Dumas novel. Here [unclear: the] deliberately careful and concentrated [unclear: voi] with the synthesizer weaving in and out [unclear: i] around combine to create the highlight the album. Not Such a Bad Boy relies [unclear: or] one line to carry the song. From this [unclear: Iine] instrumental breaks have been [unclear: engines] and carried by the strong rhythm [unclear: injeq] into the song. Side One closes with [unclear: Still] much better effort in which [unclear: Mi-] combine all the elements they have used earlier songs but with more skill. They [unclear: vj] the pace, an organ solo is [unclear: skillfd] interupted by guitar, it never gets boring.

Side Two is not as inspiring. [unclear: Drd] suffer from the same problem too — a style that is excellent in strong numbers but which in weaker ones becomes overkill. [unclear: Still] one might change that opinion seeing [unclear: Mi-] in concert. Despite its weaknesses [unclear: the] album is a good one and one that has to be played loud. The pressing is excellent and gives extremely good quality.

Mi-Sex are tentatively scheduled to [unclear: td] New Zealand in October. They will be [unclear: A] band worth catching.

Paul McHugh.

Record supplied couriery of CBS Records.