ALBUM REVIEW: Blouse Club – Problem Patterns

Belfast queerpunk band PROBLEM PATTERNS have finally put out their debut album Blouse Club. The quartet have made their presence known with their unapologetically loud lyrics regarding misogyny, transphobia, inequality and the general mess seen in politics today, and so far their work has garnered praise from fellow punk artists like Kathleen Hanna of LE TIGRE and BIKINI KILL and Henry Rollins of BLACK FLAG – all of which makes their debut album something to be excited about.

No time is wasted whatsoever when they kick things off with Y.A.W that opens the record with a deep bass and then transcends into an angry breakdown of instruments. Once the chaos has somewhat calmed, listeners then hear a grungy guitar that builds anticipation before the vocals come in, singing lyrics covering the everyday misogyny that many of us will have experienced. You feel their frustration and anger, and what you also can’t help but imagine is the power and energy to be stood in a room of people, singing along loudly.

Throughout the album the songs range in length from sometimes just around a minute to others that reach the three-minute mark, but each track gets straight to the point when it comes to airing their opinions, stories and experiences in a loud, brutal way. That’s not to say that every single song is serious in nature, with some just coming across as pure fast and angry punk excellence that still manages to get the band’s frustrations out, as heard in the likes of Pity Bra and Big Shouty.

But of course, the main highlights come in the form of tracks that cover more pressing topics, like Advertising Services – a song that just sounds so cool and confident – which calls out a multitude of social injustices with fun and catchy lyrics; Lesbo 3000 is a fast punk track that calls out the misogyny and homophobia that women in the LGBT community face; and TERFs Out which, if you haven’t gathered from the name, is an aggressive call out of women who use feminism as an excuse to be transphobic and emphasises that these groups do not speak for actual activists for women’s rights.

PROBLEM PATTERNS have made their presence known and should be an exciting force for the future of queerpunk and riot grrrl bands with their smart, confident lyrics, their fantastic punk breakdowns and their pure chemistry.

Rating: 8/10

Blouse Club is out now via Alcopop! Records.

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