L7 "Scatter The Rats" (2019) ***1/2

Just under twenty years have gone by since the release of L7's last album, Slap-Happy (1999). That's a really long time for a band to not release music. Well, L7 did release two non-album singles in 2017 and 2018, respectively, but neither song blew me away. My so-so reaction to those songs, combined with the fact that Slap-Happy is my second least favorite L7 LP, had me a little concerned about how good the new album would be.

Scatter The Rats (2019) has arrived and I'm happy to say that I like it more than I expected. It took a few listens to grab hold but I'm digging it now. There are a couple of weak tracks ("Murky Water Cafe" is skip-worthy), but overall Rats features more of the punk/grunge sound that fans have come to love. No surprises, just solid rock. The songs don't have quite as much bite as previousl albums, the drums don't have the same power as they do on albums like Bricks Are Heavy (1992) or The Beauty Process (1997), and Rats sounds a bit like L7 on a budget, but the riffs are strong and Jennifer Finch is back playing bass on her first L7 album since the underrated Hungry For Stink (1994).

Comments