THE SLITS
Trapped Animal (Narnack Records)
by Ken Scrudato

Considering that punk was one of the monumental touchstones of 20th Century feminism, it was pretty fucking depressing watching it all regress back into an antediluvian dichotomy of ape-ish doodism (Lollapalooza) and huggy foofyism (Lilith Fair). But the equally glorious and ferocious return of landmark girl-punks The Slits--now in the form of original members Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt, along with a fresh new battalion of fearsome young estro-warriors--should do much for setting things bloody right again. They announce their convictions immediately, sneering, “I refuse to pick up shit after men / Repeatedly time and time again,” on the riotous, antagonistic opener “Ask Ma”, then shout and snarl all over the feral, anti-consumerist title track how, “The most trapped animal / Is the human savage”. Yuh! It’s actually quite startling how their back-then-totally-shocking hybrid of thrash, reggae, rockabilly, Afrikaner chanting and rhythms and, well, girl-power picks right up in 2009; and it's literally still LIKE NOTHING ELSE YOU HAVE EVER, EVER HEARD (For the record, M.I.A. gives it a very good try). They even give all those sorry little do-gooders tilting patronizingly towards the Dark Continent an effortless one-upping here with “ Babylon ”, a hot, sweaty and unassailably authentic little history lesson in Afro-Carib struggles. So watch out, stupid boys; sugar and spice, they most definitely are not.