Album Review: Bleached – Don't You Think You've Had Enough?

There is a distinct push and pull between dynamics and attitude on punk sister-act Bleached’s latest. It’s always been there, since their debut Ride Your Heart in 2013 and now in their third long-player. Jessie and Jennifer Clavin straddle upbeat pop-punk and gritty, raw rock housed beneath arching, melodic vocal lines, giving much of their output a grungy late '80s/early '90s vibe. While there’s always been much to love musically, lyrically things haven’t always been as strong, relying on simple decries that are pouted rather than levelled at their intended target. But Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? pulls their more visceral songwriting into sharper focus, capitalising on lyrical content that deals with introspective battles and melodies that are fun but still edgy.

Where previous album Welcome The Worms dealt with relationship angst and grievances, the Clavin sisters have shone the light inward, done some soul-searching and found self-motivation, especially in Hard To Kill. The same old sharp guitars and vibrant, punchy keys remain and it's easy to let them sweep you up and dump you in a sweaty, carefree push-and-shove pit for some mad dancing. Heartbeat Away, Daydream, Kiss You Goodbye and Shitty Ballet are your best bets here.