2011 LA saw the coming together of what could arguably be one of the best female Punk / Rock groups since Bikini Kill. Lindsey Troy’s growling guitar riffs and Julie Edwards’ Bass driven drum beats, along with their combined Steven Tyler-esc wailing vocals would become Deap Vally. Their debut single ‘Make My Own Money.’ would reach number 4 in the charts and the accompanying album ‘Sistrionix’ would peak at number 38 the following year. In 2016 they produced ‘Femijism’ with Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs‘ guitarist Nick Zinner which would again sit pretty at number 4 on The UK Rock and Metal Album Charts. Five years, we were joined in holy matrimony with ‘Marriage’.
At first glance the title of this latest album could come as a surprise to Deap Vally fans, the running themes of the previous albums being strongly rooted in female independence and the power it brings, however ‘Marriage’ is simply a metaphor for being in a band and its constant ups and downs. The duo explaining ‘Being in a band is like being in a marriage, sometimes its unbearably challenging.’ This rollercoaster is mimicked throughout the album as each song sets contrasting moods throughout, something audiences haven’t seen from them before. We also see features of music legends Jennie Vee, Bassist for the likes of Courtney Love and Eco and The Bunnymen, musician and producer Peaches and Scottish singer/ songwriter KT Tunstall.
The opening track ‘Perfuction’ is an anthem for the hot mess and celebrates the rebellion against the pressure to be the perfect, top functioning human that society expects us to be, ‘I’m a mess but I’m clever so fuck it.’ It also uses wordplay of the grammar song from Schoolhouse Rock ‘Conjunction Function’ with ‘Perfunction juncton, what’s your function?’ to create a strong, familiar hook. The sound is Deap Vally’s grungy, fuzzy calling card. It’s the kind of track that would fit perfectly over a scene from your favorite 90’s teen flick as our main character is rushing to get ready for school on time after sleeping through their alarm.
Above – Deap Vally at EartH June 8th 2024 – courtesy of The Upcoming.
Self-empowerment is a theme that runs through the entire album and is reinforced in ‘Phoenix’ the chorus proudly explains ‘Nothings gonna break my crown, as long as I can breathe nothings gonna stop me.’ accompanied by a lively and quick tempoed drum beat.
The first vertical drop on this album’s ride comes in the form of ‘Give Me a Sign’ the slow lamentation is reminiscent of the band’s track ‘Critic’ from their previous album ‘Femijism’, without the angst. The minor chord pattern gives the track a sombre feel. It shows the flip side of the high energy Rock coin that Deap Vally have built their reputation on, using haunting backing vocals to bring the listener’s thoughts of self-doubt from their minds and into their ears to reflect upon. The beauty of the lyrics ‘I need a solution, instead of confusion, cause’ I’m chocking of this mental pollution’ combined with the consistency of the melody throughout the song feels genuine as it has a casual air about it. Troy’s vocals are soft and solemn, a huge contrast from her raspy, belt. It’s quickly became one of my favourite tracks on the album as it really resonates with how I’m feeling at my current point in my life.
‘High Horse’ seems to be a nod to featuring artist KT Tunstall’s 2004 hit ‘Black Horse and a Cherry Tree.’ almost 10 years later her voice brings a mature, punk sound that is comparable Joan Jett. The track’s thumping drum beat and reverbed guitar reminds me of early White Stripes.
‘Look Away’ featuring Jenny Lee is a dreamy, indie end to the album, another relaxed approach from Deap Vally and is a pleasant, swaying track to end on.
All in all, I think this album showcases some really interesting directions but it lacks the impact of their previous albums. As stand-alone tracks there isn’t anything inherently wrong with them but as a group, I can’t help but feel there’s something missing. I’m sad to say they’ve stopped making music as a group indefinitely, Troy is currently working on future solo releases. I had the pleasure of seeing them perform at Dalson’s EartH on their farewell tour where they performed their 2013 album, ‘Sistroinix’ cover to cover, their performance was incredible, full of electric energy and I hope we get to see more from them both as stand alone artists and as a team in the future.