Pamela
Means' fourth CD is named "Silver Bullet Theory". The artwork on the cover
of the CD is shadowy and cryptic. Yet, her music is direct and provoking.
The first time I heard and saw Pamela Means was at the Knitting Factory,
where she played the guitar so aggressively that the audience was worried
she would bust her strings. I later found out that her electrifying style
of acoustic guitar playing is her trademark. ONE of them. The second trademark
is her wild hair, which she calls the "Sapphro". Pamela Means is a singer/songwriter
from Boston, and she incorporates three powerful elements into her music:
her voice, her guitar work, and her lyrics. All three are powerful in their
own right (Just read he lyric sheet, or listen to her stunning acoustic
guitar-only tracks, "Mother's Day" and "Atoms", if you need proof.) Combined,
the effect is no less than astonishing. Pamela Means' music is bold, passionate,
and meaningful. She covers so-called "controversial" territory-- most prominently,
racism and war-- with a realism that more so-called "mainstream" musicians
wouldn't touch. Pamela Means is a voice for the groups that have been
marginalized in America, with her observations on prejudice so simply yet
perfectly summed up on "Two Halves", the first song on her CD "Silver Bullet
Theory": "Though there are two halves of me/There's only one half they will
see." On her CD's, Pamela Means captures a great deal of the of the intensity
of her live performance. Her style has been described by both herself and
her fans as folk, but one admirer described her music as "deeper than folk."
and added, "Her head is in the future. She's got a respect for the past
but doesn't get lost in it." She speaks up about racial profiling and police brutality on the brilliant, bold opening track "Two Halves": "I don't need to be pulled over/ by a big dick cop with a billy club boner... To a racist cop out on the beat, just another black bitch is what I'd be." In "Two Halves", she also incorporates spoken word by one of her role models, poet/activist Audre Lorde: "Hey that's right. Here I am. Deal with me". For several of the tracks on "Silver Bullet Theory", she uses a stripped-down, guitar-and-vocals sound which showcases the more delicate aspect of her voice. As effectively as Ms. Means can bring politics to light through her music, she can deliver intense emotion with her love songs, including "Augusta", "Yours", and "Restless". In "Augusta", she's ostensibly singing an ode to a lover who's not quite at ease with their relationship, with some genuinely heartfelt lyrics: "Well the main difference between them and me/ I love you for all you are yet to be/ Every fiber of your entire identity/ You are my happiness, you're inspiring." We get a similar effect in "Restless" ("You're like open sky, I am like the sea/ Take me in every drop and fall back into me.") Means uses the same minimal style for "Yours", a another intensely personal love song which adds some flawless piano work. The result is soothing and ethereal.
Ms. Means returns to a more aggressive vocal and guitar work to match in "The Devil's Henchmen", which explores the scar on American history that lynching in the South has left. She warns about how, apparently, the struggle for civil rights in its purest form-- safety and survival-- is still going on. Means dedicates Lewis Allan's haunting classic "Strange Fruit" to Dr. James Cameron, founder of America's Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Recorded previously by legendary singers Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, the song-- also about lynching in the South-- is a good choice for resurrection. Means marches head-on into other serious issues with "Amen" and "O.D.", two keen war-themed songs. She has said about "O.D."("Oleaginous Diplomacy": government initiatives made on behalf of oil companies.): "It 's about standing up and saying what you have to say when you have time to say it." With provocative lyrics, she convincingly explores our leaders' motivations for war in Iraq ... which, most likely, go beyond just "keeping the peace". "O.D." is bolstered -- with help of electric violin and drums-- by an pounding beat that turns frenzied and intense.
With "Single Bullet Theory", Pamela Means explores both universal human emotions as well as vital American and world issues. There are aspects of African-American identity and old-style activism in her lyrics and vocal delivery that date back to the days when music was less about image and packaging... and more about the underlying message and breaking rules. Pamela Means, her music, and her message are ripe for mass discovery. The sooner, the better.
Check out ww.PamelaMeans.com.