There
are so many ways to discover new music if you stay open to the experience. One
of the best places are all those opening bands playing before the band you came
to see. I always go to a gig on time and catch the opening acts. I think music
lovers who show up later to watch just the headliner are cheating themselves of
what could be a great experience.
Disc 1187 is… Warriors
Artist: Bad Cop
Bad Cop
Year of Release: 2017
What’s up with the Cover? Justice isn’t blind after all. Here
she’s got four eyes, five if you count the one in her hair. That hair is made
of flame, and there are more flames in her scales. In short, this version of
justice also came to kick some ass, just like the band.
This particular
painting brought to you by artist Jennie Cotterill, who kicks ass in many
different ways (she’s also in the band). Thanks, Jennie!
How I Came To Know It: I saw these guys open for Frank
Turner in back to back shows earlier this year. They were great, and Sheila
suggested I go to their merch table and get an album. I did just that!
How It Stacks Up: As it happens, I bought two Bad Cop Bad Cop
albums at the show. When I did, a burly looking punk with a bald head and a
massive beard told me “you won’t regret it – they are both great!” Turns out he
was right. So much so, I’m not sure how I can rate one ahead of the other – it is
that close. However, since I’m not one to equivocate I’ll put “Warriors” in
first place…for now.
Ratings: 4 stars
When a band has a live show as high energy as Bad
Cop Bad Cop you always worry they won’t capture the magic on their studio
album. However, “Warriors” has all the visceral power of their live
performance, but with better separation of sound. Live was great, but in studio
I had all that power and I could hear
the words.
Bad Cop Bad Cop are an all-woman punk band from Los
Angeles who have a lot to say and aren’t afraid to say it at high volume. They
were already loud on their previous record (2015’s “Not Sorry”) and here they
turn it up to 11, replacing the ska touches on their previous record with a
more straight ahead rock sound. I like both approaches equally, but there is no
denying how infectious the rock riffs are on “Warriors”. It makes you want to
raise your first and yell.
While all four women sing to some degree, main vocal
duties are anchored by Stacey Dee and Jennie Cotterill. Dee has the more
traditional punk snarl, but I also like Cotterill’s voice which has plenty of
grit and a subtle hint of sixties crooner around the edges. Add in bassist Linh
Le’s emotionally raw delivery and the three of them blend together for a good
combination of harmony and punk power. “Warriors” shows off their various vocal
talents a bit less than previous efforts but only because the arrangements have
a stronger rock focus. Even with this thickened sound, they never lose their
core of musicality.
The band is anchored by drummer Myra Gallarza, who
hits the skins hard. In the first
concert I saw of the band she broke a drum stick while playing. When you hear
her on “Warriors” it is easy to see why. She thumps those things with a
vengeance. A punk band without enthusiasm in the rhythm section will always
sound bland, but the relentless punch of Gallarza’s drums (and Le’s frantic
bass) give the record the right amount of gravitas.
I was favourably reminded of Green Day at their
best. Green Day gets unfairly blamed for inspiring a lot of bad pop punk bands,
but Bad Cop Bad Cop shows this power can also be used for good.
Thematically, these songs follow the traditional punk
norms of rebellion, including quite a number of songs with social messages. The
band isn’t afraid to explore dark personal topics either, addressing suicide
and feelings of self-loathing. “Victoria”
is a song about suicide which is indicative of their sound; crunching guitar
and snarl, but with a strong melody that makes the songs equally good for
moshing or singing along.
At the core of it all, this is a band that is not afraid
to say the things they think needs saying – whether personal or political. “Womanarchist” and the title track are
calls to action on a broad front. On “Kids”
they call out an abuser and on the more subtle “Why Change a Thing?” they call on sleepy suburban professionals to
join the fight for all the people who don’t have it as good as they do.
Like a lot of punk records, the songs on “Warriors”
get their point across in a hurry and the whole record is over in less than 30
minutes. I ended up listening to it six times in just two days. Despite all
this play time, I never got bored – I was infused with the energy of the record
every time.
While there isn’t a lot of new ground being broken
here, Bad Cop Bad Cop pulls anthemic rock and protest punk together at a high
level. They write great songs and then they play them with a celebratory and furious
power. “Warriors” is their most recent record and I’m excited to see what they
do next. For now, a few more listens of this one are in my future.
Best
tracks: I’m
Done, Womanarchist, Victoria, Amputations, Broken, Warriors, Kids
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