Fear of Black Kennet. ****
(Repeat Records)
( A benefit album for love music hate racism).

Review from God Is In The TV website

This benefit collection kicks off with a live track "and they obey" from Kinesis its a spiky piece of early Manic's by way of At the drive in, type political sloganeering that is the perfect opening salvo for the mixture of personal and political tracks included upon this collection. The Second track "Drowning By Numbers" is even better Miss Black America newly invigorated since their reformation, display a neat rhythm section, allied to a delicious guitar line and typically heart on the sleeve vocals from Seymour Glass.

Elsewhere the Virgin Suicides prove to be my favourite newbies on this album, their first track "Just As Dead Now" begins with an excellent film quote "Someone else has already said it best so steal from them and go out strong" , and is a spiky approximation of early clash punk ending with the clichéd but excellent "we don't need your fucking hero's", their second track "Little Mannequin" is even better bringing to mind the melancholic spirit of early acoustic Manic street preachers B sides with more than a hint of Little baby nothing's beauty in the guitar line and vocals. The Dawn Parade must also come in for praise their "Caffine Row" is quite simply majestic, with its emotionally soaring vocals, this is wide screen guitar rock that just serves to highlight the fakeness of mainstream bands like Coldplay etc...

Talking of emotion we can build you's track "in and out" is riot girl par excellence beautifully stinging vocals are welded to a prickly beast of a tune. This is also a collection that shows its personal side the whimsical ballad seven hearts is heavy on irony and . Antihero's "Who's looking out for number one" reminds me of feeder which is no bad thing if we consider that early feeder were an interesting band. This collection isn't all guitar rock, two songs in particular prove this point Corporations: Blend's "Shutdown" is an elctro clash beast that mixes early human league keyboard beeps to high quality and bitter Mansun- esque vocals. Plus Asian dub foundations "Black and White" mixes dub, drum and bass and ethnic guitar lines with political stream of consciousness raps about inequality. Only King Adora's "Born to Lose" ruins it for me as is often the case they are swamped by their glam rock ambition and end up sounding like a poor New York dolls wannabe's who have drunk too much vodka and passed out on stage.

Overall an excellent, inspiring and refreshing collection of tracks that shows their is still a healthy breeding ground of alternative music in the suburbs of this country its just you have to wade through the crap first. Also this is a worthy cause Racism is creeping back especially in the Northern towns of England mainly due to ignorance, fear, anger and boredom please donate to the love music hate racism cause and buy this Record.

(Bill Cummings).