Albums

Miss Black America - Terminal

Benjamin Short 05/09/2005

Rating: 3/5

In recent times, Miss Black America have suffered more personnel changes than the board of directors at Manchester United, and as a result they are now threatened with relegation from the indie-rock premiership. 'Terminal' is undoubtedly a game of two halves. 'Drowning by Numbers' is derailed by poor production and lyrics which can only be described as sixth-form poetic ('I want to throw myself against the wall'), whilst 'Beauty of Song' is ironically hideous. 'Automatic' signals the start of a thrilling comeback, as supersub guitarist Mat Anthony puts in a hardcore riffing performance (Mmm… Juicy!), and from then on, every song is a shot on target. 'Emotional Junkmail' and 'Voices' are the two biggest highlights, as Seymour Glass envisions a world where 'the billboards fade to silhouettes' , trapped beneath 'bullet-proof glass ceilings'. At the final whistle, Miss Black America's loyal fans may be left sick as a parrot by this underwhelming performance, but you can never count 'em out…