HEY GRAViTY

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Strepitoso esordio di sferragliante rock'n'roll per gli inglesi M.A.S.S., a base di dosi massicce di Stooges, Mc5 e primi Pretenders, che ultimamente tra le nuove leve albioniche paiono essere di stramoda. Se vi chiedevate come fosse possibile che la risposta britannica alla revanche Usa di White Stripes e ai nuovi barbari svedesi The Hives e The International Noise Conspiracy fosse rappresentata dagli slavati Libertines, ora le vostre ansie sono placate. “Revolution” lotta per riportare lo scettro del rock'n'roll nelle mani della satanica dinastia brit assurta al potere 40 anni fa. Questo dei M.A.S.S. è un album potente e sanguigno, fatto delle chitarre taglienti di Jonny (sì, scritto proprio così) e Andy, del basso e della batteria possenti del norvegese Paul e dell'irlandese Stuart e del cantato della frontwoman Justine Berry, figlia ribelle di Iggy Pop e Chrissie Hinde. In più, i cinque sfoderano un'attitudine a produrre anthem quale non si sentiva oltremanica perlomeno da 20 anni. “Testify” (nota per lo spot Peugeot del motociclista e della ragazza incinta nel deserto Usa), “Don't wanna wait anymore”, “Fake talk”, “Her gravity” si candidano fin da subito a inni della nuova generazione rock'n'roll. Certo, i riferimenti si sentono, eccome: “Give me a break” inizia con lo stesso drumming di “Lust for life”; “Fake talk” esibisce stacchi vocali che ricordano Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith e Joan Jett, ideale sacra trimurti dell'animal rock di ascendenza femminile; “Deaf to your answers” si apre con lo stesso basso di “10:15 Saturday night” dei Cure di “Three imaginary boys”. Ma in generale l'adrenalina e la furia istintiva dei M.A.S.S. sono tali che il riferimento ai modelli appare dello stesso stampo di quello scandinavo: una chiosa manierista del passato su cui sviluppare la propria personalità e tracciare le linee dei futuri destini del rock.
Renzo Stefanel
More Italian press @ http://www.foreignaffairs.it/press/mass/ - Revolution

Well, it's loud infectious rock 'n' roll time again and MASS have got plenty of what it takes to make you bleed in all the right places. A female singer who sounds like she knows one end of a good night out from the other engaged in a loose duet with a man who sings like he was raised tethered in an attic. An evil marching beat unlawfully wedded to some filthy guitars, a "yeah yeah yeah" chorus and it's enough to make the dead sit up and nod.. exactly what you need. - The Guardian [UK daily]

[translated from French] Revolution: Of course you’re not obliged to throw old grandma Blondie away. The MASS “revolution” is not a revolution in the May 68 sense, but something really fresh and new. From their begining releasing a handful of energetic singles, their pop credentials have got off to a flying start - the uplifting 'Hey Gravity' and 'Live a Little' are both on the album much to the joy of pogoing households. This London group now based in France, have put full-frontal guitars and speed melody back into the British music scene.
If they were American they’d be on the front page of every newspaper and magazine. The songs retaliate against this injustice and lack of acknowledgement; thanks to DJ’s such Steve Lamacq or John Peel, they light up the evenings at the BBC. But at the same time, these bombshells just couldn’t be American: it's marked 'made in England' from the first sha la la of their tightly constructed songs: embodying to the core a certain idea of pop music - flamboyant, urgent, impassioned. But they don't appear to be restricted within the confines of the 3 minute pop song - they treat their chosen medium more like a sports hall than a prison cell, where time may be limited but certainly not altitude.
This glorious English language already developed in the mouths of the likes of Stiff Little Fingers, The Libertines, The Buzzcocks all the way to Supergrass, is used with eloquence by MASS. A jostled idiom, fluid, spit out, alive and kicking, wording the melodies of the lively anthems such as 'Live a Little' or 'Give Me a Break'. Like solar flares fired by the seductively taunting, mercilless voice of Justine Berry - a lamb by day, transformed mysteriously by the effect of the frenzied barrage of guitars, into a wild-cat onstage.
It’s this raw, rebellious sound that makes their live gigs so edgy and enjoyable (they played last year at les Inrocks Festival, and deserve to come back) and has produced the desired effect on this CD: carnal and coy - punk pop perfect for making those haughty, stand off attitude faces in the mirror and then bopping in bed. - LES INROCKUPTIBLES [FRANCE]

There aren't many bands brave enough or talented enough to record their album in a live take, but then M.A.S.s. know how to show up the competition. The competition in this case includes the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and even PJ Harvey courtesy of frontwoman Justine Berry's sultry yet sassy approach to vocals. Having come a long way since the first single 'Hey Gravity' last year, the London quintet's latest offering shows that they're now doing a fine job of proving that whatever those other retro-lovin countries can do, we can do just as well. Doing their bit for he so-called garage rock revolution, M.A.S.S. have taken heed of Jet's gritty rock'n'roll swagger, studied Young Heart Attack's dynamic assault and added a special touch of class that's primed to make them one of the hottest new acts around. 9/10 [July '04] - ROCKSOUND UK

[Translated from French] A red wall is menacingly graffitied with ‘REVOLUTION’: immediately it arouses our attention and wakes us up from our malaise. And as the tempo is set, it is the voice of a girl inviting us to testify and sounding the revolt. The evidence; Justine already superbly fits the role, of the rock chanteuse brought up on punk. Because this young lady is endowed with a voice that makes you think of Chrissie Hynde, Annie Lennox and Millie Jackson. You might also think that she has, in another life, frequented the Baptist or Methodist churches in the Southern states of America or gospel chapels. The group have been catapulted from the British scene and are now settled in Nantes and have passed the test of the debut album with a brilliant swagger. Extreme confidence has always been part of the character of British bands, the big surprise with M.A.S.S. is, that we are once again ready to be believers. - ROLLING STONE [France]

Sometimes an ostensibly dire gig scenario can work to a band's advantage. While there are no more than 50 people here tonight to witness London quintet M.A.S.S., the empty room serves to add volume to their already super-fuzzed primal garage thud. Think The Kinks, Elastica and more recent heroes like The Pattern: bands whose enveloping volume defines them.
It also means bottle-blonde Denise Van Outen-alike vocalist Justine Berry has more room to pace the dancefloor and stare out individuals, increasing the gut-level witchery of 'Running Out Of Here': like 'Rid Of Me' era PJ Harvey, right down to the siren wailing.
A tangle of shaggy hair hipthrusts and amp overdrive, M.A.S.S. are a very now kind of band. It's even possible to envisage a day when several hundred people will claim they were here. - NME

[Translated from French]Opening your debut album with a song called ‘Testify’ is daring. One could of course offer as an excuse that the English had never of Parliament: But that can’t be. Justine, the singer / chanteuse has a voice that can’t hide it’s influences, the girl has obviously been brought up listening to black music. On ‘Don’t Wanna Wait Anymore’ you can even detect an affinity with Annie Lennox.
During a concert they shared with The Bellrays, Justine and Bellrays singer Lisa met up and bonded and you can believe me (as I witnessed
the scene) they didn’t just discuss clothes. Their vocal style also has a lot of similarities, not necessarily the same range but the same
feel. The four boys behind Justine are “ferraillent sévère”. The group are impressive on stage, a fact that is also confirmed on this
album. The sound of the guitars can be compared to B52s; at times like a flight of the night bombers taking off from the runway, or at
others similar to the band of the same name. There is NO escape, everyone should take their shot of M.A.S.S. behind the ears. - ROCKSOUND [French Edition]

It's 98 degrees in here, and all The Fly really wants right now is a comfy seat, a nice cup of peppermint tea, and a pain au chocolat. But Justine Berry and her M.A.S.S. cohorts have other plans. Dressed in a white jump-suit of unknown - but definitely unbreathable material, she's asking for trouble in this heat. However Justine is made of sterner stuff, launching into a bruising rendition of 'Gravity' with all the aplomb we'd expect from a girl drinking from the same bottomless well of exuberance as Surferosa's Mariann and infused with the confident strut of Blondie.
A slam-pit forms within 60 seconds and it's clear that no-one else in here is thinking of pastries. So the French are aloof? Not on this showing.
We get a breather during 'Fake Talk', which manages to inject an adrenaline-filled, rock and roll hypodermic into the heart of a Moricone score, but 'Live A Little's inanely catchy pop chorus ("Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo!") exemplifies the M.A.S.S. ethos; why shoe-gaze when you can roof-raise? - THE FLY

We've met before haven't we? That's right - London garage rock, distant cousin of Detroit garage rock. But M.A.S.S. are bringing quite an unfamiliar flair to the business of heavy riffing. Undoubtedly raw but with some of the anthemic qualities of the classic FM rock single, singer Justine brings a touch of Polly Harvey to their double take on Bachman Turner Overdrive, which makes all this quite a refreshing change. - NME Single review

M.A.S.S.
"Live a Little" (Mandita)
It is both wonderful and weird that the White Stripe's Elephant has gone platinum in the midst of all the hype about the return of guitar rock (which had never gone anywhere), but it is almost as weird that M.A.S.S., one of the best new rock bands from England, is still unknown. The UK quintet debuted in 2002 with the single "Hey Gravity," which sounded a bit like the Strokes had hit the gym and hired a female singer. You could hear cell phones jingling, gigs being booked. But since 2002, M.A.S.S. has released only one other single, "Live a Little." They've recorded an album called Revolution, but the album still isn't out and the world has not become their oyster. Singer Justine Berry's voice sells the whole band: A blend of almost every rock singer you've ever heard filtered through cigarettes and a sense of belonging that many singers need years to achieve. Write to Tony Blair, visit Justine's tour diary—just find a way to help these guys help YOU with your rock needs. - MSN Slate / The New Yorker