Connie Constance delivers an impressive slice of indie on ‘Miss Power’
Hailing from Watford, Connie Power, AKA Connie Constance, has made a steady name for herself in the British music scene, releasing her first album English Rose in 2019. Although the album was fairly well-recieved, Constance has come into her own on her sophomore effort Miss Power, which explores coming-of-age, heartbreak, desire, feminism and happiness.
After supporting Nova Twins earlier this year, and dates with Yard Act to come later this month, Constance has made it apparent that she is ready to move away from the R&B and soul influences of her first record and fully immerse herself in indie rock and pop sounds. The musician cites British indie bands such as Arctic Monkeys as major inspirations, as well as bold and often brazen singers such as Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse.
Constance’s second album ‘Miss Power’ is a confident and self-assured mixture of classic 2000s indie, spoken-word, punk, folk, and experimental pop, proving the 27-year-old musician to be a key figure to keep sight of. Opening the album is ‘In the Beginning’, which has a distinctively mystical feel to it, layered in vocals akin to Björk’s breathy backing sounds. The short track transitions into an indie anthem in the form of ‘Till The World’s Awake’, which sounds like an instant crowd-pleaser. With Foals-esque guitars, the track undoubtedly takes influence from the late 2000s/early 2010s indie era. Yet Constance’s voice is refreshing, aligning the track with 2022 rather than sounding stale and dated.
The energy continues on the next track, ‘Miss Power’, where Constance provides listeners with singalong lines such as “I’m not the girl I was before” and “It’s too late, the damage is already done.” However, Constance shows skill in slowing things down, employing a folky influence on ‘Never Get To Love You’, which is reminiscent of Phoebe Bridgers – only much more British. This folk sound can also be heard in ‘Heavyweight Champion’ and ‘Home’, which culminates in a male voice, reminding Constance of her importance, “Ain’t nobody else like you…come on love.”
The album moves between easily-digestible indie tracks, all just a few minutes long, often featuring memorable lyrics such as: “You’re just a mood hoover/ Sucking the life out of me again.” These tracks, namely ‘Mood Hoover’, ‘Blank Canvas’ and ‘Hurt You’, are inoffensive; however, they become rather forgettable in comparison to the rest of the album.
‘Kamikaze’ takes influence from the riot grrrl genre, and in just over two minutes, Constance lets loose and shouts about how she is not “a specimen for you just to study.” It’s a fun cut driven by rough guitars, a dark bassline and distorted vocals, albeit interrupted by a cringe-inducing (however tongue-in-cheek it might be) line, “I’m not your perfect little princess / I have my own unique vagina.” Apart from that, ‘Kamikaze’ is an album highlight, perfect for a live setting, following in the footsteps of angry girl anthems such as Wolf Alice’s ‘Yuk Foo’ and Rina Sawayama’s ‘STFU!’.
However, the album’s greatest moment is ‘YUCK!’, a spoken-word piece that sees Constance spill her thoughts over a nostalgic acoustic guitar-led instrumental, accompanied by a prominent bassline that ties the track together. Lyrically, Constance is vulnerable, making the track an instant charmer. She delivers lines such as “You’re scary to me right now/ But I wanna love ya” and “Sometimes I don’t know if I’m a boy or a girl” with admirable honesty.
During an interview with NME, Constance revealed: “It’s my dream to play this album from start to finish in a forest, having this kind of fairyland Skins party. I haven’t shaken off that era at all; I love all coming-of-age type stuff.” Miss Power achieves this aim, with tracks such as ‘Til The World’s Awake’ and ‘YUCK!’ the sonic encapsulation of this statement. Although the album has a few weak moments, Constance shows distinctive growth from her debut. Miss Power is a strong second album which feels like just the beginning for Connie Constance.
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