On their first record since 1999, L7 have returned to their grungy heyday, just a little bit older and wiser. Donita Sparks’ snotty yet forceful vocals are still in full effect. Opener “Burn Baby” is an average track but a nice way to kick things off. “Fighting The Crave” is a slower track with a riff that is killer as hell; it’s a nice way to introduce L7 to the 21st century. “Proto Prototype” is a nice throwback to the good ‘ol days with Suzi Gardner on vocals taking it back to when rock music really was something great and forceful with another great riff backing everything up. This one is a damn great song.
“Stadium West” is another great cut. The ladies aren’t as overly heavy here as they used to be in the past, but there really isn’t an overall need for it. A song like this is perfect to balance out the heaviness. It’s just really nice to have an all-female rock band back out here to show these pop divas what real music is all about. “Murky Water Café” is another slow burner, but the power and intensity this band always had is still there ready to be enjoyed.
Not every song is an absolute winner – for instance, “Ouija Board Lies” – but again, it’s just great to hear this band again. Their attitude and take no shit essence has been missing from the rock scene for far too long.
“Garbage Truck” is a nice little punk raveup that harkens back to something from Bricks Are Heavy while “Cool About Easy” is a sleazy, dirty track that reminds me of something from 1994’s underrated Hungry For Stink. The title track draws things out a bit, but it’s a nice way to end the disc and a hell of a way to welcome these ladies back to a music scene that needed them so badly. Let’s just hope that other current bands take a tip from L7 and decide to really blow out the speakers again.
