A few slightly O-T-T vocal affectations aside, Brownstein delivers a triumphant kick in the guts to the monotony of everyday life in her lyrics. ‘It’s getting so pathetic/I’m so restrained/I need it to be hectic/And rearranged,’ she gasps in the throbbing Boom, and in Endless Talk she pines: ‘Oh, come on baby/I need a little more shine/How did our light get so low?’
Timony’s compositions and vocal style are softer and poppier, with a penchant for the psychedelic, though the lyrical intent is the same, whether it’s the wild chase of Electric Band, the itching cabin fever in Something Came Over Me or the visceral pull of Glass Tambourine.
Wild Flag retains the jagged intensity of Sleater-Kinney, but celebrates chaos and unbridled emotions with a sense of glee and abandon. It pays tribute to ’90s riot grrrls rock, but it still succeeds in hitting you with a breath of fresh air.
Best track: Romance
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: The Woods SLEATER-KINNEY, Pod THE BREEDERS
In A Word: Flapping
