SF Rebirth

THE SHE’S
The SHE’s
* * *

San Francisco quartet the SHE’s have gained a sizable cult following based on their various connections to other bands (including Fogtown indie heroes Girls) and their minimal, lo-fi power pop. On their self-titled debut EP, the songs are about as blunt as you can get--two keys, two minutes, three minutes. Vocalist Hannah Valente’s singsong rants focus on a single theme: the spoiled and stuck-up people who surround them. “A.B.G.T.” has Valente sing about girls with long hair and short skirts who “talk about boys all day long” over rolling power pop. “No Can Do” is a fast, punky groove that sounds like the offspring of the Piers and Joan Jett. The hilarious “Chewbacharock” sounds like a listenable update of Steve Miller’s pentagenarian-pleasing “Swingtown.” And “Your Majesty” is the epitome of the album’s theme and philosophy--a peppy blast of catchy garage rock with hooks that latch onto the phony sociosexual king of the song’s title and fling him off his latex throne.
The SHE’s are artful in their effortlessness, and this is a fun album with a theme and a philosophy. However, the songs are all extremely similar to each other--a bit too much so for comfort at times. Their minimal approach seems fresh now, but only time will tell how many albums it will last before they broaden their sound, whether with good results or bad. For the ultimate SHE's experience, check out one of their Noe Valley Farmer's Market gigs next time you're on that side of town and feel like a little rock n' roll.THE SHE’S
The SHE’s
* * *

San Francisco quartet the SHE’s have gained a sizable cult following based on their various connections to other bands (including Fogtown indie heroes Girls) and their minimal, lo-fi power pop. On their self-titled debut EP, the songs are about as blunt as you can get--two keys, two minutes, three minutes. Vocalist Hannah Valente’s singsong rants focus on a single theme: the spoiled and stuck-up people who surround them. “A.B.G.T.” has Valente sing about girls with long hair and short skirts who “talk about boys all day long” over rolling power pop. “No Can Do” is a fast, punky groove that sounds like the offspring of the Piers and Joan Jett. The hilarious “Chewbacharock” sounds like a listenable update of Steve Miller’s pentagenarian-pleasing “Swingtown.” And “Your Majesty” is the epitome of the album’s theme and philosophy--a peppy blast of catchy garage rock with hooks that latch onto the phony sociosexual king of the song’s title and fling him off his latex throne.
The SHE’s are artful in their effortlessness, and this is a fun album with a theme and a philosophy. However, the songs are all extremely similar to each other--a bit too much so for comfort at times. Their minimal approach seems fresh now, but only time will tell how many albums it will last before they broaden their sound, whether with good results or bad. For the ultimate SHE's experience, check out one of their Noe Valley Farmer's Market gigs next time you're on that side of town and feel like a little rock n' roll.