Review by: Oli Saunders
I had a dream last night that I met a girl and she was really into loads of different music. We discussed the topic of course and she recommended me some emo that I had not heard of before which left me chuffed to bits. I can’t remember the names of the bands and I never did get around to listening to them in the dream – fuck I bet they were amazing, she appeared to know what she was talking about. We also seemed to get on pretty well but sadly I never got the chance to get to know her very well and also she was imaginary.
Amazingly, this album has previously never got reviewed on Collective. Members have since moved on to other things, but there was a time when The Mock Heroic played many gigs around the UK with a lot of other great bands. I saw them for the first time in 2006 when I first met Kunal who put this out. Fuck that gig was amazing, Soophie Nun Squad headlined and were probably the most fun band I have ever seen. I missed the last bus home to watch the end of their set and ended up walking home which took two hours. But it was worth it. Tractor also played who I didn’t like at the time but have since got into quite a bit. Ratface played his weird brand of hip hop which I really enjoyed. And I believe the Mock Heroic played on the floor of the venue and blew me away. A chaotic jangly mess of instruments and screams which sounds distinctive enough from all other screamo bands. It all took place at the Junction, Bristol’s only DIY punk venue which has sadly been taken over and turned into a “funk bar” for want of better words. Rest in peace my old friend.
This album represents The Mock Heroic at their peak – apparently they were all over the place in their early days, but proceeded over time to form a coherent screamo mess of beauty, still shambolic to some extent but really tight and playing this kind of music like you should. Passionate, personal but thoughtful lyrics with explanations, breakneck speed and high pitched screams of pain alongside the jazz fuelled guitars. Like Off Minor inserted into a blender and sped up, then combined with Mohinder. It’s not got a typical screamo sound at all and some might argue it isn’t screamo at all. 11 songs in 23 minutes, it all kind of sounds similar but just turn it up loud and let yourself be lost in it, the result is pretty stunning if you’re receptive to it.
This never came out on vinyl, and sadly it hasn’t sold particularly well as a CD, which is pretty ridiculous. It probably hasn’t got near enough attention overseas either, though I did read some reviews which whilst not slating it were quite short of praise. We know better though, and after not actually liking it that much when I first heard it I now consider it a classic. Overall a great band and album from a few years ago who along with a few other UK bands like Narwhal, Night And The City, Kilik and Structures made some pretty damn cool and intense emo.
1st October 2009