Not to be confused with Hawaiian surf-ska sextet Go Jimmy Go, LA’s Go Betty Go are their all-girl Latino-punk equivalent, and what a glorious shin-kicking racket they make too! It’s a strain of punk that name-checks the brittle tin-pot rock of The Queers and The Ramones and injecting it with some sharp, catchy as hell, sing-a-long choruses. Sure, The Donnas staked a claim in this style years ago but what sets Go Better Go apart is their fiery attitude and truly distinctive tunes.
‘Your Own Worst Enemy’ brilliantly showcases lead vocalist Nicolette’s feisty femme-punk style, imbibing you into an irresistible backing chant chorus while guitarist Betty’s wide-ranging influences take hold, melding Doo Wop *with *The Go Gos and *L7 *to create some thoroughly intriguing moves. All four lend their luscious Latino voices to such backing choruses and mix particularly well in ‘Son Mis Locuros’, which is sang entirely in their mother tongue.
And of course lyrically, being an all-girl punk band you’re gonna get less of the troubled male emo-punk stuff and more of what the female contingent have been trying to get across for so long. The defiant, and oh-so-catchy chorus in ‘It’s Too Bad’ with the line _“Now that you want me / You can’t have me / All you had to do was ask me” offers a window of light into the baffling and mysterious world of a girl’s mind while _‘C’Mon’ _is an up-beat lament about teen confusion, especially if boys are involved.
To be perfectly honest, I really can’t play this enough. It's an insanely catchy, ass-kicker of an EP; the indie-punk world is theirs for the taking.
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9Mat Hocking's Score