This isn’t where the Miss Power is heading, though. “Till The World’s Awake” immediately cuts through the noise with an infectious dance melody and pounding drum beat, giving eighties club banger – swiftly presenting the record’s clear highlight. It’s followed up by the titular “Miss Power”, an equally bouncy number, before “Never Get To Love You” interjects with a regretful ballad. There’s another gear shift in the song’s second half, revving up for the summery “Mood Hoover”, while “Heavyweight Champion” sees the tone oscillate back down to melancholy acoustics. Later, “Kamikaze” adds a new, Nova Twins -esque dimension to the record, with raucous drums and growling guitar clattering into Constance’s muted snarl.
These first two thirds of Miss Power show Constance off as a versatile songwriter: irresistible when the energy’s turned up and just as brilliant when it’s all stripped back. “Hurt You” is another particular strength, with an earworm chorus at odds with the frank and uncheerful lyrics. It’s the final stretch, though, that doesn’t quite hit as hard. “Home” regains something of the opener’s fragility, ending on an extended poem from somebody assumed to be Constance’s father.
Even longer, “YUCK!” is a spoken word confessional that runs just shy of six minutes, interrupting the record like a mid-roll ad and taking a lot of the wind out of the final two songs. They’re bookended by their own voice notes, with more spoken word cropping up on the closing “Red Flag”. It’s still one of the album’s best, ending on a punchy, soaring final chorus to showcase Constance’s vocals, but both tracks feel lessened by the distance put between them and the first act.
Miss Power is a solid instalment from Constance, with real high points across multiple genres. The voice notes are a little heavy-handed, and “YUCK!” risks losing the crowd, but Constance has still shown herself as an exciting voice in indie and alternative pop.
