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Deap Vally released their debut album a week ago in the UK after a storming set at Glastonbury. I’ve had it on repeat since purchase and I think it could be one of the greatest empowerment albums of all time. I feel that gays have a brilliant right to share the ‘sisters’ stick together’ mentality, and not since the Spice Girls has girl power been such a prominent subject for a band.
The LP opens with the grungey and biting ‘End of the World‘, which I actually think is one of the weaker tracks lyrically but it does act as a battle call and the commencement of war on the male sex. ‘Baby I Call Hell‘ is a tongue in cheek commentary of a failing relationship where one party believes they are a saint whilst you sink further into despair, ‘what you call love, baby I call hell’. This wit continues throughout the album; Lizzy & Julie really don’t care who they offend but they do it in such an intelligent way that their victims may not even realise. The hook in ‘Your Love‘ is particularly cruel, jibing that an ex partner was a slime with the face to launch a thousand ships.
Amazingly I haven’t even mentioned how this album sounds, which as it goes is pretty damn good. Snarling guitars and a vocal packed with sex appeal and attitude turn tracks such as ‘Raw Intention’ into hot blooded feminist anthems. Early promo single ‘Gonna Make My Own Money‘ is gargantuan in its production, whilst the pace is frantic yet the lyrics are never swamped by the songs themselves as those satirical jibes are omnipresent.
Now, I’m sure a few of you reading this will have been through break ups, before this LP you may have turned to Leona Lewis and a tub of Häagen Dazs and cried yourself into a stupor, fear no more! All you need is to turn ‘Lies‘ on full blast and spite that cheating bastard as you scream along ‘THESE LEGS ARE CLOSED TO YOU’. A bit extreme? Maybe, but this album has such growling atmosphere that by the end you genuinely start to hate your own penis, are men really that bad? There is release in the form of the fantastic ‘Walk of Shame‘, which takes quite a discreet topic, chews it up with drums and screeching guitars and encourages women everywhere to take your walks of shame with pride, because you’re strong and independent and stuff.
Anyone who is a fan of The Black Keys, Peace etc will adore this album; grungey blues rock with a real taste of the deep south. Deap Vally are making critics buzz at the moment due to their mammoth sound and equally large personalities, they are riding the wave of young ready made rock stars such as Haim, Swim Deep and Drenge. I would highly recommend catching their shows at Reading & Leeds festival if you’ll be in attendance. Who knew feminism could be so fun?
