Bad Copy

Hello, Bad Copy.  It’s been a while. It’s been me, not you. But I’m back. Hope we’re still cool.

Hayley and the Crushers sound like they would fit well on the soundtrack to But I’m a Cheerleader, and I mean this as a compliment. They’re a more punky version of April March and Dressy Bessy. Self-described as “your fave glitter trash punks,” listening to Cool/Lame makes me want to go thrifting for some go-go boots. There’s eleven songs, a hint of nostalgia, and a touch of tambourine in the latest LP.

The album starts out strong with “1039,” a bop that reminds me of Blondie and Tacocat. “Bad Girls” is definitely my favorite track. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to sing into your hairbrush, or ride in a convertible with a scarf blowing in the wind. “Blue and Green” is fun and surfy. I appreciate whatever surf pedal was used to make this track.

In the middle of the album, there’s a cover of “Lobotomy” by the Ramones, which is okay. I wish that Hayley would have been singing the majority of the vocals on that one. It came off as lackluster with nothing special about it, especially since the Ramones are covered so often. I also did not enjoy “Polyester Sunday.” While I enjoyed the first verse, the change in vocals after that ruined it for me. I’m not sure if it’s the different vocals that I mainly dislike or the song itself. Honestly, I don’t want to listen to it again to figure it out. The album ends on “Neurotica” which I was pleasantly surprised with! It’s a darker track than the rest, with a cool girl vibe.

Overall, I give Cool/Lame 7 working neon bulbs out of 10.