CD REVIEW: MI-SEX – Not From Here

CD REVIEW: MI-SEX – Not From Here
Golden Robot Records
9 September, 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7 1/2/10

Kiwi new wave pioneers Mi-Sex are back with a new frontman and a new album some thirty-three years after their last instalment.

Remembered primarily for cutting edge electro-pop anthem Computer Games, the band took hiatus in the mid-‘80s after four albums, and lead singer Steve Gilpin passed away in early 1992, not long after a serious car crash from which he never recovered.

Four of the original members are present in this new line-up: founding bassist Don Martin and keyboard player Murray Burns, as well as later additions guitarist Colin Bayley and drummer Paul Dunningham. They are joined by guitarist Travis New and the man who really pulls this project together, singer Steve Balbi.

Balbi – a veteran of Noiseworks and a myriad of other projects – brings his eccentric personality and excellent vocals to the role, fronting a succession of pristine self-produced electro-pop tunes that manage to straddle the thirty-five year divide and remain true to the band’s original style, as well as sounding relevant to today.

My Sex Your Sex, Running At The Speed Of Sound, Animal and the rest of the album all fit perfectly into the Mi-Sex repertoire, boasting driving rhythms, swirling electronics and a pumping rock edge.

Category: CD Reviews