Saw-tooth riffs and throaty female screams that sting like tattoo needles thrash against each other to create an amalgam of Team Dresch, Iggy and the Stooges, and Hole. The emotional obfuscation of singer/guitarist Laura’s lyrics are more reminiscent of Courtney Love and other 90s grunge and underground rock acts than they are of Iggy Pop, like when she screams, “Send me your cold hearts/To feed my old head” on “Seasalt & Wax” or groans, “I shine through/Dead flies/Dirt Cereal/Fluoride” on “Flies.” Bundled in with the grunge stereotypes is the feeling of underachievement, that maybe a couple of extra hooks or melodies might make the album stronger and more memorable (and that leaving off the album’s hidden track, a painful attempt at electro-punk ala The Locust, would’ve definitely helped), but, they’ve definitely got “loud” and “fast” down, and if they stay on track Baby Guts may live up to their well-placed punk roots.
--John Frusciante
