Moss Icon - Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly (1993), 6/10

There is a very odd combination of sloppy and generic sounding punk with gratifyingly genuine, raw emotional outburst in Moss Icon’s Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly. Some songs are disjointed or jerky yet present well for their punk ethos, supporting the album’s aims, but some feel too sloppy to escape simply sounding distracting from its messaging. The scattering of songs is written with a very focused objective, but some feel directionless and therefore underwhelming. The initial punch of "Mirror" and "I'm Back Sleeping or Fucking or Something" is remarkably effective in generating energy right away before things quickly meander and blend together before a frustratingly mediocre finish. The potential buried in many individual moments throughout the record are what make the experience frustrating. Perhaps more effective as an EP but still exists as a solid effort despite its steady weaknesses. Vance’s vocals are consistently genuine and satisfying, adding much needed backbone to an album that otherwise could be labeled as misguided poetry. The music itself and album’s progression are what feel intermittently directionless or lost within itself. It is still a record that appears influential regardless of its inconsistency or aesthetic leanings. Still an artistic statement with sufficient depth which is more than can be claimed for much of its genre.