Miranda and the Beat
Can’t Take It
Ernest Jenning Record Co./Khannibalism
Miranda and the Beat have taken leaps since coming onto the scene in 2018, and their new full length caters to the New York street ethos while bringing in the magic of their New Orleans landscape they now call home.
Can’t Take It is as much an escape from social ideals as it is an abrasive jab at the pressures of adulthood. Recorded at King Khan’s Moon Studios Rock ‘n’ Roll Vortex in a remote village in the German countryside, the album was impressively crafted in a blurring five days. The album is an out of body experience, if that body was tossed into the streets of St. Claude Avenue after an all-night binge at the Saturn Club.
It’s not that Can’t Take It is filled with regret, but the songs tend to feel a sense of remorse, especially on the song “In My Life” where Miranda plays guitars as if Link Wray were bitten by vampires. The way that Miranda controls dynamics through the rage of the strings and the gritty soulful tension is everything. In the midst of it all, “Let Me Go” showcases the human fragility of Miranda’s overall toughness. Adding the Dead Moon cover of “I Tried” only accentuates the moment.
But then you get pure fuck you punk rants like “Anxiety” and the proto-punk rage of “Manipulate Me.” It’s been years since I have heard a song so vicious internally that encapsulates punk in its purest form. The song is dangerous, unhinged and delicious in every note that slaps you across the face.
Although out of place in the context of the album, I enjoy the subtle Fania nod of “El Lobo Negro,” piecing together New York culture as simplistic as that statement is.
Can’t Take It is a rock and roll rebellion fueled by Southern mysticism while keeping its East Coast roughness near to their fiery souls. Enjoy your seats at the palace. You deserve it.
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