Wrong Wrong Wrong: A Review Of The Debut From Slang (Janet Weiss Of Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, Wild Flag)

Most of the attention being directed at the new album from Slang will be due to the fact that Janet Weiss, recently departed from Sleater-Kinney, is in the band. She's joined by other accomplished musicians, of course, but it's a big deal that this is the first record she's been a part of since that over-produced SK one. Cockroach in a Ghost Town, out on Kill Rock Stars on Friday, is varied in style, but uniform in appeal. It's a fun, invigorating listen is the short version of this review.

Opener "Wilder" is brash, but "King Gunn" and "Hit the City" are more compelling. These recall recent recordings from Dehd a tiny bit, for those looking for an easy point of comparison, but there's something else here that's altogether tougher and rougher. "Wrong Wrong Wrong" made me think of Dramarama, while the glam-ish "Time Bomb" was better still, offering up a new spin on a familiar kind of American indie. Elsewhere, "My #1" crawls atop Drew Grow's vocals. Contributions from Kathy Foster (The Thermals) and Anita Lee Elliot (Viva Voce) make this one a band affair, with the overall force here being more subtle than one might expect from a project with Sleater-Kinney's drummer.

Lots of Cockroach in a Ghost Town surprises. A reviewer can fumble around for moments that feel like Grant Lee Buffalo or even The Brian Jonestown Massacre, or maybe even Shudder to Think, but the whole record from Slang feels surprisingly cohesive despite dips into and out of sub-genres. Even if some of these numbers seem a little ragged, Slang seem intent on keeping things melodic, such that none of this feels too sloppy or unfocused. It's messy around the edges, but carefully constructed and pretty darn good in a way that surprised me.

Cockroach in a Ghost Town by Slang is out on Friday via Kill Rock Stars.

[Photo: Slang Bandcamp]