I’m beginning to see a notable change in the music industry. The vast majority of songs that have come out in the last few decades are saying one of three things: "I want to party, I want to bang, or my heart is broken". This is a tried-and-true method of songwriting that has been the backbone of thousands of artists' careers. This trend has only worsened in recent years as the music business shifted from releasing albums that listeners will love to releasing singles that algorithms will play. Writing a great song doesn’t get you popular anymore; writing one that robots think sounds like another more popular song does. There have been quite a few good tunes created this way, but if I’m being honest, most of the time these songs just leave me wanting something more. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see songs that are about something with a little more substance coming back into fashion. A trend being headed by bands like War on Women.
War on Women is a thrashing whirlwind of in-your-face feminist punk rock. This is the kind of music that rattles the dingy cement walls of back-alley clubs downtown. The sort of thing that I would hear leaking out of a venue on Prospect Street as two gentlemen come tumbling out of the door, beating the hell out of each other. Their latest single, “Precious Problem,” is a testament to that.
The track opens with a bubbling synthesizer loop. I don’t know what it is, but something about it scratches my brain just right. I could listen to it on loop for hours. Right as you’re being lulled into the groove of the synth, War on Women smacks you in the face with an explosive three-piece jam. Hyper-aggressive guitar riffs, wailing drums, and lyrics that don’t tiptoe around the point they’re trying to make. It pumps you up, it wigs you out, it makes you want to throw a chunk of cement through a plate-glass window, or maybe that one is just me. Regardless, this song is a surefire way to get a crowd excited; the hook is in the second that the synth starts. Once the song kicks off, you’re completely captivated by it.
The lyrics are incredibly poignant and straight to the point. War on Women is making a shouting declaration here, there is some bullshit afoot, and they’re not going to stand for it. THAT is the punk ethos; it’s what it all boils down to. Advocacy is badass. Nobody understands this better than War on Women, and they seem fairly intent on being heard.
So, take a minute to give “Precious Problem” a listen and hear what War on Women has to say. Listen to a punk-rock song that understands its roots. One that hasn’t been lost in the bubblegum world of modern punk, where everything is watered down until the meaning is lost. You’ll also want to be on the lookout for War on Women’s new album next year. “Precious Problem” is just a taste of what’s to come. A taste that will leave you ravenous and impatient for more.
