Spotlight Review: P.U.N.K. Girl EP - Sarah Records/K

This five-sing EP picks up precisely where Heavenly's last album, Le Jargin de Heavenly, left off. So if you're familiar with the band's previous output you'll known what to expect here: super-sweetened pop loaded with spun-glass female vocals that are so delicate they make Juliana Hatfield sound like Aretha Franklin. Except that maybe this time the songs are even better and the vocal harmonies and interplay are even more confident. This stuff will give you cavities if you don't brush immediately after you enjoy it. You have to respect a band that is this willing to sound wimpy as they wave their twee flag high. But the innocent surfaces belie wounded adult hearts, as demostrated in the break-up song "Dig Your Own Grave" or the harrowing tale of date rape in "Hearts & Crosses". While some may question the sincerity of this king od pop naïvité, to me it sounds like Heavenly knowns exactly what it wants and how to get it. And what could be more punk rock than that?

Written by Matt Murphy