London – Hit Reset is the follow up to The Julie Ruin‘s 2013 debut Run Fast and the documentary The Punk Singer, detailing frontwoman Kathleen Hanna’s career from the days of Bikini Kill through to Le Tigre and now The Julie Ruin. The original Riot Grrrl, former stripper, and would-be sexual-abuse-counsellor is back again with a band lineup that includes her past Bikini Kill band mate, bassist Kathi Wilcox, along with Sara Landeau on guitar, drummer Carmine Covelli, and Kiki and Herb’s Kenny Mellman on keyboards. Together they deliver a set of predominantly upbeat songs combining fuzzy garage, punk, and 60s girl-pop, which lyrically put Hanna’s personal world to rights.
Hanna exorcises family memories, erasing the bad in the title track diatribe that begins the record and lauding the good in the tender tribute of closing piano ballad, “Calverton” (Calverton being the town in Maryland where she spent her formative days). In the former, she lashes out at her father’s intemperate neglect and stereotypical behaviour before coming full circle in complete contrast to pay tribute to her mother’s gift of nurture and support. “You made me think that I could fly” is a fitting eulogy to mum, and Hanna’s wobbly vocal is entirely real and more touching for it. Thank God for no auto-tune!
When she’s chronicles her father’s boorish trappings or conjures up fearful images of how she “Slept with the lights on / on the floor / Behind a chair that blocked the door,” you’d be forgiven for thinking Hanna wants to reset her life to write out her father. Maybe it’s not that simple? Having battled and recovered from debilitating Lyme Disease, perhaps Kathleen Hanna is more celebrating who she is and how she got here rather than simply settling old scores and at times paying respect where it’s due. Elsewhere, poisonous friends and false approaches get the boot from the ultra vain subject of “Planet You” to the matter of inverted sexism treated comically on “Mr. So and So.”
The guitar and bass driven “I Decide,” garnished with noise-fest instrumental segments, is a robotic empowerment manifesto which asserts that Hanna has reached some kind of knowing nirvana. The accompanying video – which oddly sees Waxahatchee‘s Katie Crutchfield pacing down the sidewalks of Austin at SXSW – adds to the mesmeric effect of the song.
Equally powerful is the synth-laden “I’m Done.” The ringing finality of the song’s sentiments is amplified by Hanna’s powerhouse, monochrome vocals, dismissing everything that has brought her down in the past. It’s a reminder that while the record has a real sense of fun and spirit about it, the medium is also the message.
Hit Reset is available now and can be purchased via Hardly Art. The Julie Ruin is currently on a US tour, which continues through to October 15. The band will also play select European and UK dates in November and December. Seeing Hanna and The Julie Ruin live is a “sheer pleasure.” Further ticket and tour details can be found on The Julie Ruin Facebook page.
Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez
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Tony Hardy
Tony’s great passion in life is music and nothing gives him more pleasure than unearthing good, original new music and championing independent musicians. His association with Best New Bands brings great opportunities for this. He also writes for Consequence of Sound and is a judge for Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition.
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