Chicago’s Strawberry Jacuzzi are back with 10 new songs that are just as tasty and bubbly as their name suggests.
The opener “Bitch Jam” is an MWA favorite. Partially because we premiered the track in April of last year, but more so because we’ve had it our heads ever since. It’s equal parts Ramones and The Ronettes and a damn fine introduction to the album.
“Mindless Youth” doesn’t fuck around it, it’s less than 2 minutes long and gets right to the heart of teenage apathy, boredom, and the perils of waiting for love to find you.
The album continues with “Batman And Princess Leia”, a bass and drum driven groove that poses the allegorical question “What are you going to be when you grow up? Batman or Princess Leia?”. The guitars are minimal at first but come in hard with some catchy leads and crunchy chords. Lyrically, the song goes way beyond the topic of “dress up” and focuses on the expectations and reality of being in your late 20’s, among other things. It’s a definite standout and not just because of the title.
The album hits it’s stride as it moves onto the sweet harmonies and heavy hitting drums of “Astronaut Girl”. It culminates in a Bowie-esque countdown and some far out space sounds that would make any star child homesick. Leading off the second half of the album sits “Broken Tape”, a song that will probably make you stop and get your cassette deck looked at. Complete with lo-fi tape modulation and just the right amount of hiss, this catchy little number sounds like it was ripped right off an old Kill Rock Stars comp.
In case you forgot what Strawberry Jacuzzi do best, “Ragdoll” comes in and reminds you of the massive amounts of energy vocalists/guitarists Shannon Candy and Nikita Word can produce with a couple of Fender guitars and their vocal cords.
As we near the end of the album “Law of Attractions” and “Add it Again” provide a couple last blasts of upbeat rock n roll leading up to the title track and closer “Watch The Clock”.
All in all, the album is a great follow up to 2014’s Love Is For Suckers. These songs go far and beyond the label of “girl band” or any other pigeonholing category. You could accurately slap a “Riot Girl” seal of approval on this record and draw plenty of parallels between Strawberry Jacuzzi and bands like Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Dressy Bessy, etc. but the reason all of those bands are still relevant today is because they’ve all had the talent and drive to transcend those labels. Strawberry Jacuzzi are no different and continue to push themselves and grow as a group of musicians. Just like real life, Watch The Clock is fun and fast, but painfully honest and full of heart all at once.
For now you can pick up the digital pre-order via bandcamp. Watch The Clock will be available on cassette via Grabbing Clouds and vinyl via Some Weird Sin on November 21st, 2016. To celebrate the release the band is playing Free Monday at the Empty Bottle with Absolutely Not, Peach Fuzz, and So Pretty!
Strawberry Jacuzzi Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter