The Sound, The Speed

Mission of BurmaThe Sound, The Speed, The LightEvery time I listen to Misson of Burma, I feel like I’m hearing the best rock band on the planet. I feel like I’m hearing my new favorite band. This is mostly due to the undeniable fact that a handful of my favorite bands take at least 50 percent of their shtick from early Misson of Burma. It’s also because Misson of Burma, a 30ish year old band who disappeared for the middle 20 years of their so-far existence, are one of the only bands who can convincingly make punk music sound genuine.

These guys may be in their 50s at this point, and their classic debut EP, Signals, Calls and Marches, may have come out almost three decades ago, but their records still sound like it’s 1982. Pre-college rock, post-punk rock. Mission of Burma, armed with their fourth studio album (they also have a classic live LP), are the anti-Rolling Stones - a time machine that actually works.

If you don’t yet know the Burma and consider yourself a rock connoisseur of some taste, watch out. They play punk. They play rock. They play pop. They may have invented indie rock and, to many, they definitely defined college rock for a very long time. Oh, and they most certainly invented the initial Matador Records sound (even if they weren’t trying to do so). Hearing their new record, as mentioned above, makes me think they should be my favorite band right now. I put their records on, fall in love, then take them off and hide them from myself. I don’t want that responsibility. I don’t want to have to rework all the mix tapes I’ve ever made for friends. I don’t want to have another band whose every lyric I must hang onto. I’m too old to still be hand-crafting entire sets of T-shirts based on a single band’s lyrics.

But, since I did listen to The Sound, The Speed, The Light once, I’m more than happy to report my findings/hysteria. (One listen works for records like the ones Burma releases; their’s is an instant sound.) First off, you might want to get a few beers before you push play. You’ll also want to make sure that there aren’t any neighbors or kids or parents around who are going to be bothered by the loud volume you’ll inevitably be playing these 12 rough-cut songs at. Okay, now we’re ready. First song starts - we’re really doing this.

Sounds like it was recorded in a basement. Maybe an attic. Definitely on the wrong side of the street. This is a good thing. There’s a raw energy here that makes me believe this record was recorded live-in-studio, maybe even all first takes. Instantly, The Sound is better than a new album by another landmark college/punk/rock band who came out around the same time as the Burma, a band called Sonic Youth. Probably not as good as the recent Dinosaur Jr. studio record, but a good chaser.

The songs keep coming, one after another, good. All good. Some great. Punky pop songs that have staying power. And if that description sounds like The Ramones to you, rest assured that Mission of Burma do not; they have their own thing going on. Rock songs that will make both the beard and the blood fans happy.

Same as it ever was, with The Sound, The Speed, The Light, Mission of Burma continue to be the band I crush on. Torture myself with. Good to know these records - and this band - is around, releasing consistently great pop-punk of the ragged variety. One day, Burma. One day.   8/10

Written by G. William Locke