Petrol Girls – Cut & Stitch
Petrol Girls channel all of their anger and disappointment into what is possibly their best record yet
It's been a tumultuous time for Petrol Girls lead vocalist Ren Aldridge of late. The band have built a small but sustainable niche for themselves as the preeminent UK post-hardcore band of the last couple years, proudly delivering a fiercely feminist message to inspire young men and women across the country and beyond. However, this last year has been a tough one for Aldridge, who found herself entangled in a vicious legal battle as well as challenges in her personal life.
So what a pleasure it is, for us at least, that Aldridge and her band Liepa Kuraitė (bass), Joe York (guitar) and Zock Astpai (drums) have channelled all that anger and disappointment into quite possibly their best record yet. Everything about Cut & Stitch advances everything we previously knew about Petrol Girls. Musically and lyrically it's more ambitious, with each member at their most confident and cohesive in this shared vision.
The opening statement The Sound expresses much of this ambition from the get-go, while the Poly Styrene-sampling Big Mouth is a pretty call-to-arms encouraging women to not suffer in silence. Later on, tracks like Skye and Rootless show the band's ability to create a softer, more atmospheric sound, while Aldridge addresses some of her recent personal demons head on. Ultimately, this is an excellent follow up to 2016's Talk of Violence.
Listen to: The Sound, Big Mouth, Skye