CMJ New Music Monthly

Flipping the script on the suburban feminine ideal, the Sub Debs revel in the contrast of wearing mascara and dresses while shouting sarcastically, "I can learn to shut down/I can learn to shut up." On She's So Control, the Seattle/Olympia band's debut, guitarist Brooke, bass player Star and drummer James build catchy, rebellious anthems with a minimal set of tools. James and Star provide a clean rythmic backbone, while Brooke switches off on vocals and bends three chords to do her bidding. "I can write a song using two notes," Star croons gleefully. This DIY enthusiasm is infectious, particularly on "Don't Mess With Us," which appropriates the guitar riff of Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life." The trio hits its irascible stride in the disc's second half, as the swinging dynamics of "Overtime" and "No Good Man" turn heavy for "Man With The Golden Arm," it's sludgy beat lacerated by gritty, garage-rock guitar. Then the trio turns 180 degress for "Into The Night," a chiming lullaby straight out of '80's Brit-pop. There are some throwaways ("Give It Up," "Let's Go") where the music's ramshackle charm dissipates into formlessness, or Brooke's pouty, high-pitched voice morphs into a whine. Mostly though, the Sub Debs promulgate a version of girl power that sacrifices neither charm nor aggression to make its point. >>>Jackie McCarthy