Girl in a Coma
Exits & All the Rest
Blackheart Records
Any band Joan Jett likes can’t be all bad. Girl in a Coma riffs off the Morrissey hit, but sounds nothing like him; this Tejano trio of Betty Page look-alikes ranges from the grungy title “Adjust” to a more good-times influenced pop rock sound on “One Eyed Fool” or “Knocking At Your Door.” Lead singer Nina Diaz growls out the earthy, tough gal vocals we last heard from Exene Cervenka, while her sister Phanie pounds out a drum line worthy of any new wave power popsters. That just leaves Jenn Alva on bass; she adds the je ne sais quoi that makes these gals an authentic indie act. Ironic lyrics? Check “Cemetery Baby.” Power ballad? Certainly, it’s on track 10 in the form of “Sly” (the drums are teased with brushes, the vocals ooze sex, and the back story is all too human). “Mothers Lullaby” closes the disc, its building love song that starts slow and then lets go like a water balloon in a slingshot.
It’s a little hard to pin these gals down to a single style; they slip and slid though genre space, and that’s what makes them worth a concerted listen. This is album number four – where have you been hiding?
Girl in a Coma: http://blackheart.com • http://girlinacoma.com
