v/a- TYPICAL GIRLS Vol. 5 LP

"I’m struggling to think of any run of contemporary punk-related compilations to have maintained their level of quality control – and attempts to showcase all-female/female-led groups are rare enough to begin with. From early shots in the dark like 1981’s ‘Making Waves’ and 1990’s ‘Postcards From Paradise’ to more recent projects like those which Riot Grrrl Berlin released online a few years ago, the challenge has changed from one of a lack of licensable material to one of too much material. The compilers of Typical Girls sidestep the latter problem with judicious cherrypicking, an ear for flow and a catholic curatorial taste in subgenre-hopping.

16 bands of relatively new groups, sounds range from power-pop earworms like Color TV‘s ‘Anybody’s Girl’ to hardcore ear-melters from Drama and Snob, stopping off at all points in between including new wave, post punk, art punk, indie rock, garage and noise pop.

I’d found myself in a blissful alternative reality where the major influences on contemporary music were Kleenex/Liliput, Altered Images and Trash Kit, but further inspection reveals even more going on. Australia’s Empat Lima and USA’s Table Sugar and Latitude take that playful pop/new wave approach to post punk but more of a regional moodiness is evidenced on tracks by Quebec’s Helene Barbier (ex-Moss Lime), Tasmania’s Slag Queens and Scotland’s Vital Idles.

There’s brilliantly snotty but tuneful hardcore/punk from Whip and Mr Wrong, the sweet sound of ’77 from UK’s Child’s Pose and Germany’s The Inserts, dreamy noise-pop from Patsy’s Rats and surprisingly-uptempo shoegaze from Spain’s relatively long in the tooth Linda Guilala.

If you’re new to the series start here, then collect the Typical Girls set; I really can’t recommend them enough." - Loud Women