Album: Lambrini Girls - Who Let the Dogs Out

Politically-savvy hardcore punk rock with a Riot Grrrl flavour

share this article

Lambrini Girls - plenty to say about society's shortcomings

Phoebe Lunny and Lilly Macieira are furious. Livid with the rapist cops, sleazy men, gentrifying landlords, nepo babies and, to be fair, a significant chunk of mainstream society.

The Lambrini Girls’ eminently quotable debut album, Who Let the Dogs Out, has all of these people, and a good deal more in its crosshairs and doesn’t hold back with putting the boot in. Their fiery and indignant howls of righteous anger, such as “Officer, what seems to be the problem? Or can we only know post-mortem?” on “Bad Apple” and “Michael, I don’t want to suck you off in my lunchbreak” on “Company Culture” give a less than subtle taste of their opinions but all the 11 songs have plenty to say about the shortcomings of the modern world. And it’s unlikely that you’ll be hearing any of them on daytime radio any time soon – for obvious reasons.

It's relentless stuff, with shouty vocals and speedy, basic musicianship, but Who Let the Dogs Out is also a serious shot in the arm after all that Christmas “good will to all mankind” stuff. “No Homo” is a lesbian-curious mosh pit anthem that comes on like an update of Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl”, while the brief “Scarcity Is Fake” emphatically gives the middle finger to capitalism. However, it’s the especially daytime radio unfriendly electropunk of “Cuntology 101” that really gets it on, bringing the album to a conclusion with cries of “C-U-N-T, I’m going to do what’s best for me”.

It's good to hear bands who have plenty to say about the state of society without being po-faced, like Kneecap, Amyl and the Sniffers and Bob Vylan, getting some kind of attention at present and Lambrini Girls fit snugly among them. It just has to be hoped that they can make some kind of impact before attentions inevitably wander elsewhere.

Add comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Name that you would like to appear as the author of the comment
It’s unlikely that you’ll be hearing any of these songs on daytime radio any time soon - for obvious reasons

rating

4

explore topics

share this article

the future of arts journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing! 

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a great deal, and hope you do too.

To take a monthly subscription now simply click here.

Or
Why not take an annual subscription and save a third off our monthly price simply click here.

more new music

A partial account of how Brit-punk absorbed an aspect of reggae
The Fez Festival Of World Sacred Music and the Fes Gathering bring the world together
Bristol band aren't happy but offer up the occasional sing-along
A new album is unveiled and old tunes are played for the last time
Decades of psychedelia and wonder packed into a puzzling construction
Neo-folk songs that are woozy and atmospheric but thoroughly engaging
An eardrum damaging evening spent with Birmingham’s Sunn O))) worshippers
Trio with Gene Calderazzo and Alec Dankworth is a jewel of British jazz
Madonna and Stuart Price concoct a set that's bangin' and occasionally affecting