Review Summary: These industry plants are well-watered
Arf, industry plants. Nobody likes them, right? Well, most people don't care about that - they have other things to be enraged at, like the IPCC-proven inexorable march of progress that will inevitably lead us towards impending doom. But for us, the music nerds? Oh boy, don't we like them: we need authenticity! The case of Epitaph-signed, power pop punk band Linda Lindas should thus be interesting. Long story short: two of the members are the daughters of Carlos de la Garza - ex-drummer from Reel Big Fish and renowned producer who's worked with Paramore, Teenage Wrist, or Wolf Alice - while the two other members are cousins and close friends.
Sure, they benefitted from their situation to get a label deal, but this observation should be nuanced. First thing first: my natural optimism forces me to consider that kids are genuine to a certain degree. Secondly, the only thing they did was
to be offered an opportunity. Can you blame them? If blaming kids for taking an opportunity you never had the chance to have was that much of a no-brainer, then inheritance taxation should be more popular.
Cynicism aside, the Linda Lindas are having fun on their debut, and that's all you could ask for when it comes to a band whose average age is fourteen years old. No big narrative here, but heartfelt stories displaying what pisses the Lindas off. As expected, adolescent topics constitute most of the lyrics - feeling invisible on "Magic", or feeling empowered because of youthful energy on the title track. Nevertheless, some tracks feature a surprising amount of acuity: "Racist, Sexist Boy" tackles what's called in Francophonie "ordinary racism" - a racist attitude that seems harmless to the perpetrator. A ten-year-old girl of Asian origin acutely describing her feelings after a schoolmate made a racist comment before the pandemic is one thing - and a chad thing at that. But transforming said feelings into a punk banger praised by OG queen Kathleen Hanna is next-level chad.
Alright alright alright: these kids are legit if we give them the chance to show us what they got. But: is the music good? It ain't no Sleater-Kinney for sure, as the girls are evidently too green to offer a consistently enthralling album. Still, one thing's for sure: the Lindas know how to write cool songs despite their young age. "Oh" is a damn catchy opener that's as much punk passion as it is pop sweetness, while tunes like the Spanish-sung "Cuantas Veces" or the Cure-like "Magic" show they can integrate other influences into their formula. In the end, the punkier songs are the least engaging ones because they try to convey a rage that has not reached its peak finesse. They sure need to refine their songwriting skills and, most importantly,
check Fugazi, but the promise shown here is exciting. Go for it, girls!
