Album Review: Lauren Tate - "Songs For Sad Girls"

 



Lauren Tate is best known for her day job fronting Barnsley's answer to Babes in Toyland, Hands Off Gretel and it has to be said she's one of the more charismatic punk singers on the circuit today, never shy of standing up to lazy cliches and bullies and with a good line in thoughtful and angry lyrics as well. So the prospect of a solo album from her is certainly a pretty intriguing one.

I'm happy to report though that Songs For Sad Girls is generally pretty decent. HOG are a band who definitely aren't afraid to let their angst and venom run at full tilt on their albums and the fact that there are songs on here dedicated to self-harm (Miss America Perfect Body), neglectful parents (What About The Kids) and abusive relationships (Can't Keep My Hands Off You) all within the first few songs.

Musically, this album is more varied than you might at first think from the poppy He Loves Me and the Ronettes-style harmonies of Naturally Born Bad to the vitriolic punk of He Wanted More and the soul-scorching Bad Egg Blues. Album highlight Monsters really sees Tate pulling out the stops vocally with a tale of self-hatred that could almost be Amy Winehouse given a grunge makeover.

As its title implies, Songs For Sad Girls is most definitely not easy listening as Tate definitely isn't afraid to bare her soul and go to some pretty uncomfortable and dark places lyrically. But it's definitely a righteously angry record and you have to respect that. Fans of Tate's day job will find plenty to get their teeth into here and this may well win her a few new converts as well.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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