Go Betty Go

Worst Enemy (2004)

Scott

I'm tired, I didn't get much sleep last night and I just wrapped up an eight hour shift at CompUSA dealing with the morons who plague customer service.

Thanks to a few friends I have in the business I have an advanced copy of Doom 3 waiting to be installed on my rig.

My mom is nagging me because the grass desperately needs to be mowed.

In a couple hours I have a date lined up with one sweet girl.

Topping it all off I hate female fronted punk bands.

Despite all the lucrative opportunities that will be tempting my attention for the evening Punknews.org comes first. I respect Scott, Aubin, and Adam giving me the opportunity to be a part of the staff so I'm putting the reviewing ahead of everything in my path.

I don't know what it is, but I just can't get into female fronted punk bands. The majority of the time they're angry, bitchy, feminists who growl into the mic in hopes of grabbing the ears of the males that are so quick to put them down. It's obvious I have a bad taste in my mouth while iTunes loads the CD up.

When the first track "You're Your Worst Enemy" fired up with surging guitars that would give any So-Cal punk rock group a run for their money, tag teamed with a tolerable female voice, I was quite impressed. The musical breakdown between the chorus and verses are reminiscent of early 80's hardcore punk mixed with a touch of surf rock. The environment blends perfectly with Nicollete Vilar's unassailable, but not butch voice. Keeping the listener on their toes, "It's Too Bad" is delivered more so in the disposition of Element 101 or Fabulous Disaster. Their cultural Mexican background is displayed on the rapid "Son Mis Locuras" sung completely in Spanish. Don't let the foreign language turn you off though, it's a great opportunity to sulk in their musical talents, Michelle Rangel's bass line is intense and Aixa Vilar can beat the skins with respectable skill, matched with the smooth guitar riff in the middle of the song deploys a worthy effort. Aside from slick musicianship the backup vocals are one of the most appealing parts of this five song debut for the ladies on Side One Dummy. All of the ladies deliver such soothing noises from their mouths that it puts a sense of comfort into a transient punk rock record.

Worst Enemy had disappointment written all over it for me however, by the time the fifteen minutes of music ended I was forced to take advantage of the repeat function in iTunes a few more times (so much for playing Doom 3 tonight). Go Betty Go aren't much more than a typical punk band but in terms of female versions dripping from the genre they're worlds ahead of the rest of the pack.