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Jul 22, 2016 Web Exclusive By Aug Stone

This is good. And some of it is very good. The trouble being that, production-wise, these songs want more power than they’re given. This is noticeable from the get-go, songs that seem to be, at their heart, joyous explosions of energy come across as restrained and thin. This is especially disappointing on half of the highlights of the record. “Rather Not” sounds like a Dead Milkmen take on a ‘60s girl group song. It wants to fully erupt but never does, despite leading the listener along in that direction and ultimately leaving them thwarted. Same for “Planet You.” A great melodic synth rocker that could be a lot more excellently in-your-face. The Julie Ruin get the feel right with the next song though. “Let Me Go” is catchy and joyous, bouncing along and gaining intensity all the while. It’s impossible not to smilingly move with it. It’s a shame that the rest of the songs could achieve this if only they listened to their inner power. “Mr. So and So” is more angular and Kathleen Hanna’s delivery is incredibly expressive, often being very funny whilst also dead-on about the subject matter—guys who are into “girl bands” for all the wrong reasons. “Calverton” closes out the record and is the finest thing on it. A beautiful late-afternoon lullaby sung high up on a fire escape. Sparse, it knows how to use its space, and will claim a lot of listening time this year. But, dreamily, it is not concerned with doing so. (www.thejulieruin.com)

Author rating: 5/10