The Coathangers - The Devil You Know

The sixth album from this Atlanta trio tones down some of the vitriolic punk attitudes of their previous efforts, but they haven’t dialed back on the s-punky melodies which continue to effectively balance anthemic screamers with hard-rockin' pop tunes that would do Joan Jett proud. ‘5 Farms’ pogos along to a hyperkinetic B-52’s backbeat before fading into a wah-wah coda, while ‘Crimson Telephone’ is a dirty back road stalker verging on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Tennessee punkettes Those Darlins are a good signpost for this and Side 2’s ‘Stasher’.

I also like the menacing ‘Step Back’ and if it weren’t for its title and chorus, the snappy energetic punky drive of the anthemic fist-pumper ‘Fuck The NRA’ would have made for a great single. I think they even toss in a “Suck my dick” to make sure you get the point! Nic Jodoin’s overmodulated production on ‘Last Call’ buries a pretty decent tune in unnecessary distortion, and closer ‘Lithium’ pulls a complete about-face for a drowsy dirge that feels like Warpaint riding a one-way ticket down the drain of despair. I’m not sure if this is the direction the 'hangers are heading (musically speaking, that is), but it does suggest they’re ready to leave some of the aggression behind and expand their musical palette in other directions. Always a good thing!