Label: Epitaph Records
Producer: Carlos de la Garza
There’s something inherently special about making art for the first time; but then there’s something even better when it’s tween-to-teen girls in the punk-rock scene, screaming for social justice and jamming about their pet cats in the same set. The Linda Lindas have a lot to say in their debut album Growing Up, from the awkwardness of fumbling social situations, to the pressures of being thrust into the “real world,” to feeling and overcoming the powerlessness of youth. Their politically pertinent, screaming hit “Racist, Sexist Boy” likely got the most attention from new fans, but title track “Growing Up” and radically wise “Magic” set the tone for this transitional period of their lives. They stay true to a punk-rock sound, being a riot grrrl touchstone for the new wave, but they also give space for Latin-fusion with “Cuántas Veces,” and alt-pop with “Talking To Myself.” The Linda Lindas are so fierce, brilliant, and skilled in this beginning stage of their careers, one can only expect it to get stronger and more self-assured with time.
(8/10)
