London punk supergroup YAKKIE channel fury and hope on debut album Kill The Cop Inside Your Head.
Janey Starling knows how to make a comeback. After taking a break from music to focus on activism, the vocalist (founder and former frontwoman of Dream Nails) returns in full force with DIY punk outfit YAKKIE. A supergroup of feminist punk’s finest, YAKKIE is rounded out by Robin Gatt of Petrol Girls and Personal Best, Colour Me Wednesday’s Laura Ankles and Maeve Westall from Jasmine.4.T and Itoldyouiwouldeatyou. Their debut album, Kill The Cop Inside Your Head, is a bold and boisterous introduction to the band, filled with racing guitars and roaring breakdowns.
Kill The Cop Inside Your Head’s greatest strength is its ability to balance aggression with playfulness, the rage sitting alongside the joy without taking away from either. The often sweeter vocals contrast with the rough texture of the instrumentals. Each track was recorded live to tape in one take – which gives songs like blistering Rabbit’s Got The Gun and crackling Take It All the feel of being at a show. YAKKIE keep listeners hooked by mixing up the tone and pace of songs across the album – from ballad Atlas to grungy Secrets – while Janey varies her powerful, emotional vocal performances to match.
The lyrics tackle the personal and political with unflinching clarity. Rousing album highlight Lean Out is a scathing takedown of corporate feminism, which also points to how women’s labour has historically been undervalued. It breaks down complex arguments in an accessible way while Janey’s voice veers between teasing and furious. 'Who makes the profits? Bosses / And bosses need? Workers,' Janey chants. 'Who makes the workers? Women / Who cares for women? Other women.' Rageful Right Of Reply discusses how, while covering fatal male violence against women, the media often frame coverage in such a way that it blames victims while the women are unable to tell their stories. The verses on surprisingly sunny closer Under The Pavement Is The Beach acknowledges how frustrating and often baffling our current political and capitalist nightmare is – before leading into a chorus that’s determined to be upbeat, with a lilting melody.
That closing track sums up YAKKIE’s mission statement: fighting against injustice as ferociously as you hold onto hope.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: Petrol Girls, Lambrini Girls, Sløtface
Kill The Cop Inside Your Head is self-released on February 13.
