Bleached – Welcome The Worms

Catchy choruses and breezy surf-guitars, with a string in the tail...

Until their split in 2010, art punks Mika Miko became known for their notoriously frenzied shows at LA dive bar The Smell, part of the same messy lo-fi scene that spawned Abe Vigoda and No Age. Slices of three and half minute-long pop weren't exactly their bag, so fans were surprised when vocalist and guitarist Jen and Jess Clavin reinvented themselves as Bleached, and returned with a very Californian take on garage rock and ‘60s girl group pop. Their debut, ‘Ride Your Heart’, brimmed with catchy choruses and breezy surf-guitars, a cross-pollinated sound of Vivian Girls' ramshackle sweetness, Dum Dum Girls’ indie jangles and the warm fuzz of The Primitives.

Breakups and flat eviction have fuelled their follow-up, ‘Welcome the Worms’, but the Clavin sisters aren't wallowing in despair. Together with bassist Micayla Grace, their second album is an all-round punkier, slicker, catchier and heavier affair. The earworm choruses of 'Keep on Keepin On' and 'Sleepwalking' could have appeared on Brody Dalle's ‘Diploid Love’. Elsewhere, once surfy guitars now blaze with sharpened Runaways style precision. The girls sound tougher and more confident, especially Jen's silky vocals which have been stripped of the Spector-esque fuzz which made every track on ‘Ride Your Heart’ sound like an ‘Only In Dreams’ outtake. ‘Wasted On You' is a muscular assault shot through with Riot Grrl attitude, while 'Desolate Town' channels Hole with its sneering punk.

Their sound may have hardened up, revisiting the Clavin’s roots growing up on a diet of Misfits and Ramones, but Bleached aren’t immune to love’s keen sting. “C’mon dry your eyes, it's good to feel just a little alive,” Jenn croons on the glam strut of 'Wednesday Night Melody', a tribute to going out and drinking through the pain. At its core, just like their debut, ‘Welcome The Worms’ deals with boy crushes, sunny days, leather jackets and mascara-streaked breakups, but these girls just might just stomp on any boys who dare to try and break their hearts.

7/10

Words: Dannii Leivers

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