ALBUM REVIEWS

The Bellrays
Meet the Bellrays
Poptones 6th May 2002
@www.vanguard-online.co.uk

 Woohoo! Loud, raucous and with a bad attitude, Meet The Bell Rays is my album of the year so far. It kicks off with a monstrous squelch of guitar, then over-stepped drums, then Lisa Kekaula's fantastic voice. The voice is a big classic blues voice – loud, forceful and full of intent. Simultaneously wildly rock'n'roll and firmly in thrall to the song. The guitar has the same thing going, it's messy and feedbacked – screaming and off-note sometimes but precise and purposeful, every moment a good and meaningful moment. This is mostly an angry band but I can't figure out what they're angry about I'm just glad that they are so purposefully pissed off. This is a remastered selection from their first two albums and I need to track down the rest of their music. This is music that is timeless rock – elements of Janis Joplin and Janis Ian, late 60s blues, garage punk. But this isn't post-modernist borrowing; this feels like the real thing falling fully formed from noise heaven. There is a very live feel to the record too, scrape of guitar strings, studio chatter, feedback – it sounds like a four piece having a good time. Since this arrived, I've played it every day, sometimes twice. It's that good.

Ross McGibbon