Ride Your Heart

Bleached

Dead Oceans Records, 2013

http://www.facebook.com/HelloBleached

REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 06/18/2013

The Los Angeles sister group Bleached knows their way around a fuzzy pop song. On their debut Ride Your Heart, the siblings belt out a powerful and punky version of bouncy tunes set to the theme of heartbreak. Bleached is almost like a younger, female version of the Ramones. One listen to their single “Next Stop” and their full throttle garage rock will have you leaping off your furniture in a fury of barely containable recklessness. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Album opener “Looking For A Fight” sounds like its title and is the most upfront punk tune here, accompanied by tuneful backing vocals and quick percussion. Jennifer handles the vocals, her sassy attitude coming through on tracks like the melodic and hook filled “Searching Through The Past.” But she also has her own maudlin moments, like the wispy “Guy Like You,” which even hosts slide guitar. While most of this is straightforward poppy punk like “Dead Boy” and “Outta My Mind,” they also move into girl group sounds on “Dreaming Without You.” "Dead In The Head" brings to mind '80s girl outfits like The Bangles or Bananarama.

Though you can hear the rougher, post-punk traces of their former band Mika Miko in this new project, Bleached is a cleaner affair, taking up company with lo-fi tendencies and reverbed guitars. While it still brings to mind early punk sounds, the '60s surf rock, mid '90s alt-rock, and modern day indie rock, the harmonies here show a more refined, sunnier side of the sisters (though the wordplay is pretty dismal for the most part). If you're a fan of Dum Dum Girls or Vivian Girls, make room in your collection for this one. Ride Your Heart is a great starting point for this new endeavor from two very talented young women.

Rating: B

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© 2013 Tom Haugen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Dead Oceans Records, and is used for informational purposes only.