Kamikaze Girls are not interested in metaphors. Lucinda Livingstone and Conor Dawson tell it how it is, warts and all. On their debut EP, ‘Sad’, they dealt with anxiety, addiction and depression. Their debut LP finds them opening up even further, tackling mental health, self-loathing, love and lad culture, all while keeping their melancholic charm in tact.
Opener One Young Man, written about Livingstone’s experience of being robbed at gunpoint in 2014, could be considered a grim introduction but it sets the tone for the rest of the record with its admirable frankness. The track is absolutely explicit about the lingering effect the attack had on her. “One young man put a gun to my head, held me down and took my possessions,” she sings. “And ever since, what a state I’ve been, spent a year of my life doing nothing.”
KG Go To The Pub, which packs an added punch courtesy of guest vocalist Ren Aldridge of Petrol Girls, and Weaker Than are similarly sincere when addressing misogyny and the aftermath of a suicide attempt. Truthfully, you’d be hard pushed to find a track on the album that isn’t. “My beliefs change with the weather and I don’t believe I’m right. And I know now that I wasn’t cut out for this,” Livingstone confesses on Berlin. The band are as candid as they are loud, and they are loud.
With the help of an impressive pedalboard, Livingstone is able to rival Dawson’s hard-hitting beats, which have previously sparked comparisons with the Incredible Hulk. Add to this her newfound comfort in the lower vocal registers and intricate, shoegaze-inspired guitar work and you’ve got a winning combo.
I Don’t Want To Be Sad Forever is the record’s final call to action. “We need to fix this together and we need to fix this now, I don’t want to be sad forever, but I know that I probably will be,” Livingstone sings. Kamikaze Girls want more art, peace, love, equality, freedom and solidarity, but they have experienced first hand the obstacles in their path.
The duo’s decision to ditch veiled references in favour of raw emotion has paid dividends and the record’s strength lies in its vulnerability. The band’s merch says “sad girls to the front” and here’s proof that they’re thriving.
Kamikaze Girls Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Tue June 20 2017 - DUNDEE Conroys Basement
Wed June 21 2017 - EDINBURGH Bannermans
Thu June 22 2017 - LEEDS Wharf Chambers
Fri June 23 2017 - IPSWICH Smokehouse
Sat June 24 2017 - LONDON Sebright Arms
Sun June 25 2017 - WATFORD White Lion
Mon June 26 2017 - SOUTHAMPTON Alex
Tue June 27 2017 - BRIGHTON Hope and Ruin
Wed June 28 2017 - PORTSMOUTH Edge Of The Wedge
Thu June 29 2017 - CARDIFF Buffalo
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