DISClosure: KITTY • Robin and Linda Williams • Deep Lust

DISClosure
CD Reviews Of A National Scale

KITTIE
Spit

by Isaac Morrison

Women in rock are, unfortunately, something of a rarity these days. Aside from the occasional appearance of Courtney Love or Alanis Morrisette in the weekly tabloids, the mainstream music scene has been leaning rather heavily on the X-chromosome thing lately. This means that when a girl-dominant band does show up on the scene, the topic of gender gets far more discussion than the music they play. When I was assigned the task of reviewing a CD by an all-female band of vinyl-wearing eighteen-year-old high school metalheads, my head began to spin. The chances of receiving an unbiased viewpoint from me, the reviewer, were very slim at that time.

The sullen post-Generation X faces of Kittie glowered at me from the cover of the album as I slipped the disc into my player and sat back. The title track, “Spit,” let me know from the very start what was in store: riffs and fury. Their sound falls somewhere between Korn and Limp Bizkit, spiced up occasionally with elements reminiscent of Metallica, Pantera, and Ministry. Yea, they rock pretty hard.

So, really, is it a good album? Yes. Solid grooves, evil guitars, vocals like razors and gravel, impassioned pointed lyrics — all of the proper elements are present here. Their sound is not overly unique or original, which leads me to suspect that they have not had much opportunity to develop and mature as a band. Spit is an admirable first effort for a group so young, and if they continue to play together, Kittie will definitely be worth keeping an eye on.

(Artemis Records)

Robin and Linda Williams
In the Company of Strangers

by Leslie B. Green

Whether you are a fan of Robin and Linda Williams, or have never heard of them but like a country-folk flavor in your music, this disc will stay in your player for a while.

From the first cut, “The Hard Country,” the smooth vocals of both Williamses blend in nicely with the instruments. Unlike other discs, you won’t have to adjust the volume level to accommodate screaming vocals. Robin and Linda alternate lead vocals, and their similar styles don’t disrupt the continuity of the mood.

“So It Go” is a hip little ditty that will have you singing along with the chorus by the second verse. It’s carefree lyrics telling of an old man’s “whatever” attitude adds to its appeal. “Bar Band in Hillbilly Heaven” is a fantasy tribute to the likes of Hank Williams, Sr. and Lefty Frizzel and “every Honky Tonk hero who ever had a broken heart and a six-pack to go.” Its tragic tale conjures up haunting images like that of Hank Jr.’s “Tear in My Beer.”

“The Perfect Country Song” is a lament to all those old beer drinkin’, wife left me, quarter-in-the-jukebox tunes that have been replaced by Nashville’s “rich man’s croons.”

With special appearances that include Mary Chapin Carpenter and Tim O’Brien, this is no lightweight collection. However, not all songs on this disc can stand alone. “Cold, Cold Heart” is the only song penned by a Williams other than Robin and Linda (with Jerome Clark). Credit Hank Sr. for this one. It’s also only one of 2 songs that slows down the pace of this otherwise upbeat disc.

Oddly enough, the title track lacks the catchy, infectious rhythm that most of the disc carries. But being the last cut, you won’t have to listen to it as often.

By the time you’ve familiarized yourself with this disc, you’ll feel like you’ve spent some time in the company of friends.

(Sugar Hill Records)

DEEP LUST
Deep Lust

by Isaac Morrison

Do you like raw? Because Deep Lust is as raw as it’s gonna get. On the very first track, singer Allison Wolf hurls her audience headlong into the Doors song “Changeling,” backed only by a single overdriven electric guitar and manic flailing drums. From there on, the pace rarely flags as they draw in equal parts from Black Flag, The Go-Go’s, The Dead Milkmen, and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon.

Recorded with a minimum of production effort, and clocking in at around twenty-five minutes, this self-titled debut album seems concerned with neither quantity nor quality. Neatly nestled somewhere close to the true heart of live punk rock, Deep Lust is better known for a furiously energetic live show than for any elaborate studio arrangements or treatments. In fact, the band displays a brash contempt for those who feel musical virtuosity is crucial to effective performance.

The songs on this disc primarily revolve around the simple themes of conflict, rebellion, and independence. Loud and catchy, that’s all you get. There is no groovy bassline. There are no solos. There are no instrumental refrains. Record label Kill Rock Stars, the same people that gave us Bikini Kill, Team Dresch, Mary Lou Lord, and the incomparable Sleater-Kinney has dished up another punk rock mess for us. If you don’t know or like any of those bands, you probably won’t be impressed by Deep Lust, either. However, if you believe that music can and should be both angry and fun, this band will give you what you want.

(Kill Rock Stars)