R*E*P*E*A*T* presents Fear of a Black Kennett

I wouldn’t normally do this but what the fuck, I’m feeling flighty – BUY THIS ALBUM, NOW!

Full Track List Here!

Now the crass punchline has been typed I’ll get on with the murky business of the body of the review….

Benefit-gigs, charidee records and celeb politicising have always left an unsavoury taste in my mouth – a bit like fish paste. Nothing seems more wrong to me than when some old gimmer is wheeled out from his Tuscany suntrap built partly on the spoils of car commercials and hatchet remixes of songs that meant so much first time round, to frown heavily and talk slowly and with pained expression about the plight of a people who are so far removed from his lifestyle they must as well live on Button Moon. Or some wife-beating fucko ‘comedian’ walks like a prince among men in war-savaged streets, bubbling over with misplaced arrogance. On the other hand I had muchos respect for Sir Bob and Sir Midge (is he a Sir? If not he should be) they stopped sitting around, the got angry and the did something – Band Aid and regardless of the bloated, ne’er do wells that were attracted to make it A list, the idea in essence was a great one, a worthy one and a true one. The surrounding flab was an essential grease to help the cogs turn. That same grit is found here, that same hub of anger and need, on Fear Of A Black Kennett.

I won’t bang on about Love Music Hate Racism (or Rock Against Racism, to read more see our feature) the name says it all. But this album is being released to raise money for LMHR. All causes are worthy ones and it’s up to you to prioritise (I don’t want to come over all Bono, fnarr) but racism is a particularly viscous and corrosive force that continues to blight police forces, institutions and communities around the world and as such LMHR is an important and bloody valid organisation!

Fear of A Black Kennett is rough around the edges, as it should be, with volcanic high points – the Kinesis demo, which opens proceedings, reminds us all that it’s a crime they don’t get more coverage. The delicious 7 Hearts from Chris T-T, the foot stamping Just As Dead Now from The Virgin Suicides, with it’s Wild Hearts smirk and American History X sample, the raw, drum-infused The Not Gate from The Exiles, like an unravelled Strokes, fem-fantastic We Can Build You with their Distillers-esque jaunt In and Out…

Some great electropunkpop from massively tipped Corporation: Blend comes in the form of The Shutdown. A track with swirling, nasal vocals extraordinarily reminiscent of Paul ‘Mansun’ Draper, with impeccable use of a simple structure.

The Virgin Suicides contributed two tracks to the album and remind one of early Manics, before they were fat and, well, shite. Little Mannequin (acoustic version) follows Corporation: Blend like a post-coital cigarette. Neo pump a dirty, distorted snap shot with Die In America, an endearing Strummer-esque accent overlays a track with Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit’sworldwouldfallapart (Manics) strains. Asian Dub Foundation get the final word with the stomping and articulate Black and White.

It’s a bit lazy to draw endless comparisons but when the album is a chocolate box of new talent it’s the best way to get the essence across.

It is angry because we should get angry. The topics are not of the Ebony and Ivory gurningly simplistic variety, they’re incredibly wide ranging. But this isn’t about black, white, blue or red it’s about division in our communities, it’s about hatred for hatred’s sake and it’s about ignorance. A force for change is needed and what is more forceful, dirty and direct than honest to goodness, spit and feathers rock music at it’s bitterest?

To close as I started – BUY THIS ALBUM, NOW!

Holly Noseda
Musos Guide

More info on Love Music Hate Racism: www.lmhr.org.uk
Fear of a Black Kennett is available at all good Independent record stores or through www.repeatfanzine.co.uk.