MISS CRAZY – II

One of the best kept secrets in all of Hard Rock/Contemporary Glam Metal is a band hailing from California that goes by the name of Miss Crazy. In 2006, the band unleashed their self-titled debut to the world; an album that by all accounts was perhaps the best Hard Rock/Glam Metal/Arena Rock album to hit the streets in the last 15 years. In fact, it really just doesn’t get any better than songs from that debut such as “Now,” “Scream,” “Billie,” and “Baby Let’s Go” for fans of Cinderella’s first 2 albums, Def Leppard’s first 3 albums, and Bon Scott-era AC/DC. Every song from that album shines with a simple, yet killer riff and chord pattern, very catchy lyrics, sing-along choruses that stick even after just 1 listen, and Markus Allen Christopher’s voice, which is about as close as anyone could ever get to Cinderella’s Tom Keifer. Yep, truly a gem of a release, and definitely one of those albums you hear and think, “There’s no way this band could ever knock out another album that could ever approach this level of quality again.”

Well, Miss Crazy knew they had put together something special, and in 2007 released Can’t Get Enough, which was the combination of the entire Miss Crazy debut, along with 3 additional tracks: “Can’t Get Enough,” “My Life Is Over,” and “All For You” … songs again that largely met the same quality standards as those found on their debut, with perhaps “Can’t Get Enough” leaning a bit more towards something that Cheap Trick would have released around the time of Dream Police. Still, though … more high quality tracks, showing the band’s debut release was far from a fluke.

The band toured and toured in support of their Miss Crazy release, and eventually the stunning Kim Racer, bassist, secondary songwriter, and girlfriend to Markus Allen Christopher, packed up and left for undisclosed reasons. Never fear, however, as the band quickly found Kim’s replacement in the also-stunning Brandi Lee, and before hardly anyone was the wiser, Miss Crazy was back in the studio to attempt to match (or exceed?) the successes present in their debut release.

Miss Crazy had plenty of radio-friendly aspects to it … it’s a “heavy” album, but with all of the catchy hooks and choruses, it had “hit machine” written all over it. II, as you’ll quickly find, has a VERY different personality surrounding it. II is much more aggressive musically (if not angry at times), and the lyrics are chock full of relational strife, angst, and feelings of despair resulting from love gone bad. Since Markus Allen Christopher writes the lyrics, one can only assume the lyrics are a direct pipeline into his heart and are an outlet for his pain associated with the departure of/break-up with Kim Racer. The “love hurts” pervasive theme is really the only “weakness” within II … lyrically each song stands strong on its own, but when about 10 of 13 full length tracks deal with the “dark side” of “love,” a tinge of depression can indeed set in if you let it.

However, lyrical redundancy is truly the ONLY jab that can be taken at II. The album starts out similarly to Miss Crazy with an “Oh We Oh” intro chant similar to what you’d hear from the Wicked Witch Of The West’s soldiers in the Wizard Of Oz, then kicks into gear with a short, aggressive track called “Mow,” which really sets the tone for II. It’s a to the point, hard-hitting, no-nonsense song, and in just a few seconds it’ll have you sitting up straight in your chair, taking notice. After “Mow,” it just seems Miss Crazy keeps building and building and building … more energy, more catchy hooks, more memorable verses and choruses … with such a different attitude and personality than their debut … but certainly no less enjoyable. In fact, from several angles, Miss Crazy may have indeed accomplished the impossible – that being making a sophomore record that rivals or perhaps even beats their debut release! Yep, II really does has everything within its 14 tracks that fans of early Cinderella, Def Leppard, and Kix would ever want, and, to boot, Miss Crazy even manages before this album is over to separate themselves from the pack a bit, and to create their “own sound,” if you will.

Except for the intro, “Left Me Here To Die,” and “My Shining Star” (which has a Blind Melon “No Rain” feel to it), all of the tracks are mid to up-tempo songs with some “kick” to them, and although all of them are at least very good, “Livin’ Without You,” “I Know What I Know,” and “I’m In The Mood” are simply outstanding tracks that you owe to yourself to check out. Each track, except for “The River,” clocks in at less than 3 and half minutes, so basically Miss Crazy’s philosophy is to establish a power chord pattern and melody that feels good … stick with it for a while … and then get out of it and move on to the next song before anything has the chance to get stale or to become overused. Kudos definitely go to the band for driving home that philosophy to perfection.

Miss Crazy’s II is in the end a very enjoyable and easy to listen to album that will grab your attention on the first listen … and then still grow on you over time as any great album does. Go to the Miss Crazy website to check out a few tracks and to learn more about this true Shining Star of a band whose hunger and passion for their craft will undoubtedly pay dividends down the road.