My Chemical Romance
Na Na Na - My Chemical Romance Single Review
Single Review
Arguably the world's biggest Marmite Emo band, My Chemical Romance, are back after 4 years. Since delivering up the mightily successful concept album 'Welcome To The Black Parade' the Jersey Boys have won many accolades, toured extensively, and, most recently parted ways, sorry no pun intended, with long time drummer Bob Bryer.
To precede their hotly anticipated forth studio album the purveyors of 'Violent dangerous pop', as they would prefer to you call it, are releasing the first 'official' single 'Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na).' One day you will hear this as a University Challenge question..........................Na to the power of what was a 2010 single for My Chemical Romance? For now it's just a hell of a lot of Na's. Having made such a success of their previous album the boys in black have once again entrusted production duties to Warner Bros. Chairman, Rob Cavallo.
In a world so intensely covered through each and every minuscule manoeuvre it is unlikely, possibly nigh on impossible, that Na Na Na could ever have been released under the radar of the media gaze. This is slightly unfortunate because had you not heard of MCR, not been privy to any of Zane Lowe's premiers or missed the rerun videos on MTV or NME then it would be quite interesting to gain an independent view a la RoundTable of 30 years ago. You hear the music, you don't get told who they are first off, and you call it as you see/hear it, and then see if you feel a chump when you've just slated the new Joy Division record.
Having been subjected to the Mad Max meets Power Rangers desert dual that is an almost non-animated version of Stylo by the Gorillaz then only serves to corrupt one's view slightly, that and a tag line underneath letting me know that MCR, or at least Gerard's new hair cut, have made the NME 2010 'Cool List'.............whoopy f#*kin' doo!
Na Na Na, despite all the baggage that unfortunately now comes with the whole MCR phenomenon, is a fabulous Rock-Pop record of fantastic quality. It's radio friendly without playing to the lowest common denominator. It's catchy as nits in a rugby scrum, is unpretentious, and doesn't become tiresome as quickly as you'd think for a song with all those na na's in! The two parted, almost conversational style of the opening, delivers you into the unrelenting pace and thumping percussion. The machine gun speed of the track is only briefly broken as the narrative kicks in when the breakdown arrives. Released by some great throw back heavy metal guitar riffs Na Na Na continues at pace accompanied by the over layered 'angry kids' style backing vocals. "Let me see those Jazz Hands."
Louder than God's revolver and twice as shiny.
This ones for all you Rock n' Rollers, all you Crash Queens and motivators.
The first single from the group's new album 'Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys' deserves to go straight to number one. It's a blast of powerful pop that'll have their detractors scratching their heads for suitable, unqualified and unnecessary derision.................you never know The Daily Mail may even find something to like, although that's probably a little unlikely!
