An aptly named label to issue these rough n ready pencil sketches on. Recorded for a dollar (oh for a few more) in Brooklyn apparently using the detritus from the city's sewers as the tape to put it down on these largely extremely short almost at times anti-songs are saved from no-rate, no and new-wave sludge by the delicate, butterfly winged vocals of Noor Jahan Fletcher. Without this presence, the tunes, for what they are, would be very different; a relentless pounding, unlistenable dirge. All fine and good if there's more there to grab your attention than clanking, clumsy, incessantly downstrummed guitar, which might well be all Ramonesy in theory but where does that get you in practice? The marriage of these winsome vocals, more usually found in an early 90's shoegazing band and the abrasive, basic guitar clatter almost instantly reminded me of the Jesus and Mary Chains's 'Moe Tucker', with Sister Vanilla on vocals, at a school disco alongside Blondie with Debbie Harry in her 'Sunday Girl' outfit. In this vein then, the first 5 tracks would constitute more than a promising start for this lot, released on their own, particularly 'White Dreams' and 'Plastic Static' which at least demonstrate that simplistic, stripped to the bare bones squalidity can work, and well. For they are buzzing, bustling like a busy market, and brimming with youthful dash. That's the drawing board, now someone sharpen their pencils for them. But from midway thru, from 'Revolution', where they appropriately for the title, decide to show some depth and employ early Spacemen 3 drones and the fragile, falling-apart-but-managing-to-hold-it-together vibe of Babes in Toyland's (especially 'Fairy Someone') first album, but without the soiled knicker screech of genius they lose their grip on things dramatically. All hands down with the ship, as it were. As an outline, a sketch, this has a fair bit going for it but needs more work on the shading technique. __________________________________________________

-Stu Gibson