All at Once

There’s an artful use of simplicity here to the extent that these songs don’t sound simple at all- they are massive, moving, and multifaceted- but never are they bland. Rather, instead of punching note after note down our ears, Screaming Females make every pluck, every single thwap, single second, do something to advance the album. When every single element counts, the whole thing feels that much more important.

From the patient, rising tension and ecstatic release of the Black Sabbath-esque opening of ‘Glasshouse,’ right through to the heady-guitar-noodling-meets-full-throttle-pop-punk of closer, ‘Step Outside,’ Screaming Females manage to keep things, not just interesting, but wall-to-wall, grin-inducingly entertaining.

Even at it’s bleakest, All At Once is sheer rock’n’roll joy from start to finish.

There’s an ever-so-slight lack of the precariously raw noise that made Ugly so thrilling, but the crisp, imaginative songwriting redresses the balance.

All at Once is just as clever, impassioned, and purposeful as we've come to expect from this band, and it's a truly rewarding listen.