Screaming Females
Singles
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Label: Don Giovanni Records
I fly my flag for Screaming Females pretty high. Over the past two years, they’ve been the band I’ve probably recommended most often and with the greatest enthusiasm. The trio is more or less an ample showcase for the overflowing talent of the 4’11,” bowl-cut adorned Marissa Paternoster. Vocally, her bluesy animal warble and exhilarating hardcore shouts are only eclipsed by the virtuosity she brings to the electric guitar. On the Fender Stratocaster, she is extraordinarily close to being a visionary; her long and heavy garage riffs are played with smash-mouth urgency. During the same period of my adoration for Paternoster and her sidemen, their peers have stood up to be counted as fans themselves. After a never-ending string of bone-throttling live shows in intimate venues came two high-profile opening gigs touring with the Dead Weather followed by the Arctic Monkeys. Now, Don Giovanni Records is capitalizing on their rising fortune by releasing a six-song singles compilation culled from all of their 7″ records dating back to 2006.
Looking over the order in which the Singles were released reveals an interesting trend. As time goes on, the Females actually become heavier and more discordant than on their earliest recordings. Starting with “Arm Over Arm” and “Zoo of Death,” there’s a lightness and clarity I didn’t expect to find from a band with roots steeped so deeply in the DIY sphere. The hooks are catchy and peppered with an affable sort of breeziness. It’s not their strongest work but certainly an interesting peek into how they would operate as more streamlined garage band in the studio. But slowly that smoothness is taken away and the same attractive harmonies are wrapped extra-tight around barbed wire. The rougher side of the Females first comes to fore on their upbeat version of Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer.” It’s the highlight of the set and the best Young cover I’ve ever heard, even surpassing Sonic Youth’s version of “Computer Age.” They rearrange the music of his trademark dirge guitar and turn the song into a dangerous, violent comic book.
The second half feels more in tune with the group’s two excellent LPs, What if Someone is Watching Their T.V.? and last year’s breakout record, Power Move. “No Being Disgusting” allows Paternoster to work through a blind rage by soloing and shrieking with a compelling originality. She proves to be even fiercer when cooling her punk rock fire to a simmer to sustain “Pretty Okay” with nuance and refinement. With these thicker and louder songs you can see the band coming into its own. Bassist King Mike and drummer Jarrett Dougherty have the gravitas to handle Paternoster’s virtuoso shredding and even challenge her to play harder and faster.
Singles affirmed a lot of the feelings I already had towards Screaming Females but I welcome this reissue all the same. These songs deepen an excellent but brief output and provide some closure on what will probably be the first act of their career. At this point, all signs point to more notoriety and better bookings in their future, probably involving a few less church basements and many more nightclubs, making this a valuable last look at the Females before they sprint towards wider horizons.
