Thursday, December 26, 2019

Album Review: Screaming Females - Singles Too

Screaming Females
Singles Too
*** out of *****

RtBE have been fans of Screaming Females since we first caught them back in 2009 and featured them heavily in our look back at the best bands of the decade. We already owned Singles making this a bit of completist pleasure, but now Singles Too adds a few more covers and unique outtakes; those new to the band could just jump on board right here and get a good sense of the group.

These songs are all on par with album cuts and were not on records for various reasons, but the band is top notch throughout the first half of this record on outtakes like the ripping "Arm Over Arm" and "Zoo of Death". These two outtakes open the record and still get played by the band live as they cook from the drop an show off what Marissa Paternoster, Mike Abbate and Jared Dougherty do best, angular power riffs, rumbling low end and soaring arena ready punk spiked rockers.

The band brought in some MC friends Sammus and Moor Mother to rhyme over a remix of "End Of My Bloodline" which shifts gears and shows how the trio's music can be reinterpreted as the genre change still produces winning results. 

The real joy of the record comes over the second half as the group dives into some covers. "Cortez The Killer" on paper should be a screaming showcase for Paternosters six string majesty but the band twists the tune, punching up the rhythmic backbone as Abbate and Doughtery lead the way; a neat switch of preconceived notions. 

A more direct Females style cover is "A Good Flying Bird" by Guided By Voices, which amps the crunchy feedback and riffage while the "No More I Love You's" cover of the Eurythmics dramatically close things. The two covers the band recorded during their A/V sessions focus on more known tracks and while the band tears into Sheryl Crowe's "If It Makes You Happy" with a vital kick ass energy, they seem to hold back a bit on Taylor Swifts "Shake It Off" which could be better with a longer solo, all though Paternosters vocals are pretty solid up and down the register.

Overall Singles Too successfully collects a bunch of odd and ends and cool covers from one of the best rock bands out there today.
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