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This underrated classic is a all-girl punk/pop triumph.
From the ashes of seminal Riot Grrl act Heavens to Betsy came Sleater-Kinney. Formed by one-time item Corin Tucker (vox/gtrs) and Carrie Brownstein (vox/gtrs) in the mid 90s, they went through a succession of drummers before settling with Janet Weiss, in time for their first release, 'Dig Me Out'. The S-K sound is a mature development of the riot grrl ideals of bands such as Bikini Kill. Characterised by Tucker and Brownstein's duelling vocals and guitars, theirs is an often angular, mathematical sound underpinned by Weiss's rock-solid rhythms. There is a bit of a good cop / bad cop feel to the vocals, with Tucker's shrill, tremulous contributions cutting through the mix to provide a sharp contrast to Brownstein's softer tones. The duelling guitars both play lead lines or arpeggios, and sometimes recall the best moments of 'Marquee Moon'. On some of the albums peaks (Hot Rock, Burn, Don't Freeze!, Memorize Your Lines) the vocals are cleverly arranged so that both leads are singing different lyrics at the same time. You find yourself, finger resting over the rewind button, trying to pick out what each is saying. You'll find that S-K have a lot to say. In 'The End of You', there are nautical references throughout: "Bless me with Athene / There's no meaner / She's the best", tied in with dedication to the music: "Tie me to the mast / Of this ship and of this band". In the blistering anti-technology of 'God is a Number', Tucker is "Looking for some kind of heart / Inside this great machine". But it's not all acerbic rants. There are sensual moments - listen to Brownstein purr "D'you wanna go underground?" on 'Burn, Don't Freeze', and pathos - "Our love is the size of / These tumours inside us" (The Size of our Love). The album closes with a great double smash, 'Memorize Your Lines', and 'A Quarter to Three', the latter asking "Should I be up to play the game? / There's nothing left for me to feel". This album is less punk than 'Dig Me Out', but less polished than follow-up 'All Hands On The Bad One'. And to me it's their best. cheers for reading ns9mlc
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