Girls Get Busy

With their second release since reforming, Bratmobile is perfectly primed to be pioneers again with Girls Get Busy. , Bratmobile's newest record is almost a roadmap of how to be a punk, how to grow up, and how to transcend the "girl band" box. The record they have made combines musical complexity, strength, social commentary, fun, pop, and beautiful songwriting. Erin Smith's surf guitar princess status is never in question, even while she tries out all kinds of new sounds on her Kapa. Molly Neuman's drumming has become ferociously intense while maintaining her always sophisticated sensibility, and she even steps up to sing lead vocals on "Pagan Baby". Allison Wolf will never stop her insistent, smart, sassy and timely commentary through her beautifully scratchy and rich Tennessee voice. In the studio this time around, non-Brat Audrey Marrs contributed her mesmerizing keyboards to recording, bringing her past experience in Mocket & Gene Defcon to the table to add a new wave overlay to the album. Perennial Brat roadie Marty Violence from The (Young) Pioneers added some bass guitar to the recording too, making a fully fleshed femme masterpiece.