Deap Vally – Femejism

LA rockers and crochet enthusiasts Deap Vally return with loud, sludgy, stadium-filling rock’n’roll on Femejism, but not much new ground is covered. 

On Gonnawanna, the duo shows some serious promise at breaking into new territory: it’s a bit psych, a bit garage, a bit punk and a real testament to their musical abilities. The same goes for the downtempo, reverb-laden Critic, which is a welcome break from the noise halfway through the album. It’s one of the rare moments where singer and guitarist Lindsey Troy shows some real vulnerability, singing, 'Everyone is a fucking critic / Fucking cynic.'

However, tracks like Royal Jelly, Teenage Queen and Turn It Off follow the same repetitive equation of fuzzy guitar riffs, thrashing drum fills and grizzly vocals. There is probably a message buried somewhere within Femejism, but unfortunately it just comes across as lacklustre and contrived.

Listen to: Critic