SUGAREGG, Bully, August 21 2020, :38
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Never heard of this band, but I saw a few positive reviews and wanted to give it a try. It's a grunge-punk therapy session. Singer Alicia Bognanno shouts, growls, and croons personal lyrics about her bipolar disorder over surging riffs and waves of melodic noise. The loud-quiet, sweet-shrill delivery reminds me of the Kelley Deal 6000 or Sleater-Kinney. That harsh to honeyed sound is definitely a retro one but it's effective, with a modern approach to soul-baring millennial angst lyrics: "And I feel pressure to get away / Everyone just settles in this space / And there's so much more that I could do / Than fucking around staring down at my dirty shoes." It took me a few listens to dig the melodies out from the roar of pain and loud guitar, but I warmed up to it. Favorite tracks: "Stuck In Your Head," "What I Wanted."
