I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. There are two kinds of people. There are people who listen to MISSION OF BURMA and those unfortunate fools that do not. As sad as it may be, there are plenty of deprived souls out there that have not felt the magic of Roger Miller, Clint Conley and Peter Prescott. Along with new tape loop guru Bob Weston (who did time with Prescott in the VOLCANO SUNS) the group has been an unstoppable force since it reunited in ’03. If you ever wondered what Burma would sound like with a JESUS LIZARD-like Albini jackhammer recording, wonder no more. The whole of this release is that powerful in a way that only selected tracks off the incredible "OnOffOn" hinted at. That album sounded like the band picked up from where it left off before it’s 1983 breakup. This one supercedes with a more full-on production. The tunes are as good but really no better than previous efforts. This is only because it is really hard to improve on absolute perfection. The multiplicity of great music by Burma cannot be overstated.

It’s really hard to pinpoint highlights on “The Obliterati”. Especially impressive is Roger Miller’s “13’, “Spider’s Web”, “Donna Sumeria” and “1001 Pleasant Dreams”. The latter composition really exposes the WIRE influence quite full-on. “Careening With Conviction” is Burma at it’s heaviest yet. In the past I’ve been always impartial to Miller’s compositions first. In a way I preferred the old days when he wrote the bulk of the band’s material. However, Conley really steps up to the plate on this one more so than he ever has before. “13” segues right into his “Man In Decline” which sounds almost like it’s part of the same song. His bass playing on both tracks is immense. He opens "The Obliterati" with the power stomp of “2wice”, unleashes a supernova with “Good, Not Great” and it’s quite possible that he may have penned this album’s choicest track with the closing “Nancy Reagan’s Head”. Peter Prescott provides not only premium pummeling from behind the drum kit but also works up his mojo in the songwriting department as well. “Let Yourself Go”, the instrumental “The Mute Speaks Out” and “Period” are solid proof of this. It’s kind of like this band is the literal definition of “supergroup”. How the pathetic PIXIES could ever face their audience with their superficial brand of sub-mediocrity after being blown away by this omnivorous onslaught of superiority more than even one friggin’ evening in a row is one of life’s mysteries that will remain unsolved.

- Herring

OFFICIAL SITE: www.missionofburma.com

MP3 SOUND SCRAP: 2wice

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