Albums don’t come much more schizophrenic than this. Hot on the heels of last year’s ‘Cry is for the Flies’, which was teetered on the brink of psychopathy, ‘A Raw Youth’ is an album that explores the relationship between society and the outsider, the ‘raw youth’ of the title. Consequently, it leaps from confrontational to celebratory and runs the full gamut between, and pleasingly, it’s no less wild than its predecessor.
From the bouncy punk-pop of ‘They Fuck You Over’ and driving rock of ‘Shave the Pride’, which evoke the spirit of Shonen Knife in their breezy stylings, to the murderous rumblings of ‘Stab My Back’ and the murky psychedelic wash of ‘La Uva,’ which features Iggy Pop giving his darkest utterings, ‘A Raw Youth’ is an album that’s impossible to pin down or categorise. ‘My Malleley’ and ‘Reason to Die Young’ are remarkably accessible, a big rock production which means they’d not be out of place on Kerrang! Radio show the band are evolving and reveals a more commercial aspect to their sound, as do the synth-laced new wave efforts like ‘Solid Les than Gold’ and ‘The Hitch Hiker’. Then there’s the anthemic ‘Witchless C Spot’. But let’s be clear: this is no sell-out, and Le Butcherettes are doing things on their own terms. I don’t think Teri Gender Bender would play it any other way.
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‘A Raw Youth’ is energetic, fiery and in yer face, and if there are some grooves you can get down to and even some genuine pop moments, Le Butcherettes still feel dangerous and wildly unpredictable. And that’s why they’re great.
Le Butcherettes Online
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