Lazertits: Aubergine Dreams

Lead track ‘Ladies’ is a statement of female empowerment in our patriarchal world. ‘Shonen Knife’ is the subversive sexuality of rock’n’roll shot through a Camille Paglia lens; ‘Dirty Brown Couch’ is Luce Irigaray musing on sexual politics; and ‘Very Berry Milkshake’ is to vegan culinary opportunity as John and Yoko’s ‘Give Peace A Chance’ was to the Paris peace talks of the 1970s.

But temptation aside, this is just honest-to-goodness punk rock, as fresh as it’s ever been. From this perspective, ‘Ladies’ is the best song the Go-Go’s never wrote in their coke- and booze-stained Los Angeles lounge room; ‘Shonen Knife’ is Bratmobile via Blue Oyster Cult and the Detroit Cobras; the grinding garage power of ‘Dirty Brown Couch’ renders L7 a bunch of private school kids in comparison; and ‘Very Berry Milkshake’ is a dairy-free bubblegum garage track that’d send Kim Fowley into apoplectic excitement. The songwriting is taut and the precision of the lyrics is augmented with a wry humour so often left at the garage door by over-earnest indie musicians lost on a self-indulgent journey.

You can listen to Lazertits on any level, and you’ll always be satisfied.