Hell Bent

Old Flame/Marshall Teller

Street: 09.17

Potty Mouth = Dinosaur Jr. + Big Eyes

Critics have called Potty Mouth a riot grrrl band, which is dumb, or called them pop punk or post punk, which is inaccurate and ambiguous, or said they sound like ‘90s New England indie rock, which is a little more clear, but still vague. The all-girl quartet’s sound is exemplified by thick, grungy distortion on melodious guitar riffs, slack and melancholy vocals and powerful and cymbal-heavy drumming.

My mind’s eye sees a basement show full of dirty Chuck Taylors, flannel shirts and ripped jeans. “The Spins” and “Damage” best demonstrate the band’s mix of melody and noise, while the driving, repetitive break-up song “The Better End” is an apt closer. My one gripe about Hell Bent and Potty Mouth, though, is the monotonous singing—not every band needs gorgeous vocals, but as the album came to a close, I cherished the lack of singing in the last part of the last song and the silence that followed. –Cody Kirkland