Scuzzy 90’s grunge and riot grrrl punk are having a bit of a moment, and Tongue Trap are the latest to provide their take on it with their debut EP Girl Crush.
It features five punchy tracks which describe the issues faced by modern young women, with a very emphatic middle finger to the patriarchy throughout.
Opening track ‘Taco Tuesday’ is a short, frantic burst of punk energy with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and deceptively sweet-sounding harmonies.
‘Period Pants’ deals with the politics of periods and was born out of the frustration surrounding tampon tax, hence “fools in suits try to run the show” and “our wombs are free from bureaucratic misogyny”.
By this point in the EP it’s quite clear that the vocals aren’t the strongest, but when are they ever in a punk band?
The EP takes a grungier direction on ‘Celery’, and the constant flips between moody drawls and those cutesy harmonies make it potentially the best track.
Pity the man (or maybe don’t) that ‘Buttplug’ is about – it’s a scathing attack on an egotistic guy who needs reminded, “wombs are pretty cool”.
Closing track ‘Breath’ is the most unlike the rest of the EP – the band slow it down a little and the more serious lyrics about feeling out of place show a softer side to Tongue Trap.
Yes, shouty feminist punk is their thing, and they do it well, but ‘Breath’ is proof that they can do more than that too.
The riot grrrl genre tends to provoke a love/hate reaction in most people, which means some will find Tongue Trap crass and offensive, but they’re making songs about important issues in a fun way, and I think that’s pretty damn cool.
Words: Shannon McGarrity
