This LA based band, White Murder with former members of Jail Weddings, The Commotions, Death Hymn Number 9, Red Onions, Neon King Kong, This Moment In Black History has been covered here before but the dual vocal antics from Hannah and Mary is what continues to be surprising. It doesn't necessarily mean that if one bad ass on vocals is good then two should be even better, what they have depends on a subtle cooperation in support of each others style and attack in order that this doesn't turn into some kind of walking over each other spotlight fight.
A-Side's "Harold's Place" takes a nice bass line and adds the punch of toms while the duo of Hannah and Mary sound a lot like a nu-wave post punk Sleater Kinney belting out the vocal. It's all about their release and partnership against this collective instrumentation. They have a Be Your Own Pet manic, ready to breakdown sound and the rest of the band keeps slowly punching this up in an effort to match their energy. it's a real perfect match of that punk yip and howl sound but still able to come together in one unified force like Grass Widow. There's a concerted effort to democratically approach the vocal, both attacking the lyric and making each other better, I don't even know that I'd be able to exactly tell you who's singing what at the end of the day. Are they ever going to be able to sing alone again?
B-Side's "The Tell All" has more concerted, concise guitars, with vocal now reminding me of Mary Timony before they squeal into The Coathangers and this chorus of "oh-fucking-hio" which I took a different angrier way, staring at the lyric sheet until they belt this out. It's definitely tongue in cheek but with a sense of freedom and the sillyness of something like Nestle in my Boobies. Punk because its willing to go to a very specific place, blasting it out the only way they know how; in a two minute burst of dumb ideas, parties and failed relationships and now you understand why the cursing is a part of the states name.
Black vinyl with a great cardboard screened sleeve of a gorilla on safari. Get it here.
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