Misty's Big Adventure - Cool With A Capital C

  by John Clarkson

published: 22 / 7 / 2002

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Review

Despite the relative youth of its members, all of whom are aged between 18 and 22, and the fact that 'Cool with a Capital C' is only its debut single, the nine-piece Misty's Big Adventure has already garnered a strong reputation both in its native Birmingham and also in New York. The band's songwriter, Grandmaster Gareth, has also written arrangements for Broadcast, Pram, Plone and Woodbine, and the group made such an impression on its local Midlands live scene that it was able to secure the services of ex-Bentley Rhythm Ace and Pop Will Eat Itself bassist Richard March to produce 'Cool with a Capital C'. Misty's Big Adventure has received extensive radio airplay on both the BBC's Radio 6 and the legendary New York station, WMFU. The band was also recently responsible for bringing over the Beatles backed Apple Records artist Brute Force from America to Birmingham for his first UK gig for whom it played support. Enormously entertaining and fun, 'Cool with a Capital C' is guaranteed to finish off the summer of anyone lucky enough to hear it with a smile. It effortlessly merges together brassy trad jazz band sounds and 'I am the Walrus' noise effects with chirping synthesisers and a bubbling, infectious guitar hook. Gareth's lyrics, about domestic strife and humilation, are meanwhile delightfully silly. "Last night she got the better of me/Made me blush with a capital B/I'm walking around with my head to the ground/Saying I am so cool with a capital C" he grumbles good-naturedly, while the other eight members of the band melodiously and effortlessly bounce their instruments off each other. 'Mulling It Over', the B side, is more sultry, but, throwing a tingling xylophone, an acoustic guitar and scattershot percussion into the mix, and telling another tongue-in-cheek tale of disharmony in the home, has the same warm madcapness as its predecessor. Far from simply being another novelty record, however, both the tracks on this single are greatly enhanced by the fact that its musicians, rather than mucking around simply to cover up their weaknesses, all play their instruments with a genuine sense of relish and expertise. This is an immensely enjoyable record, and is very, very cool indeed.

Track Listing:-

1 I Am Cool With A Capital C
2 Mulling It Over