The Return of Space Girl / Goodbye is a high-energy track that immediately showcases Bad Mary’s on-point drums and menancing, brooding guitar work. The switch-over to a loud and brash sound that takes equal influences from 1982 punk and mid-1980s hardcore (Agent Orange, Black Flag) will immediately draw fans in. Vocals link together the work of performers like Bif Naked and Save Ferris, adding further vibrancy to an already bright opening. Try Your Best keeps things flying at a quick clip. It is the strong effort laid down here by the drums that provides further highlighting to the aforementioned vocals. Bad Mary is able to make The Return of Space Girl into a cohesive effort while incorporating a number of distinct approaches. This means that there is a bit of grunge in Try Your Best paired alongside metal-inspired guitar riffs.
The Itch has a ton of vim and vigor in it, calling back to the days of The Runaways and L7. There’s a hint of doo-wop that plays at the back of the effort, an inclusion that refreshes the very stripped-down, MC5-type take on guitar work. I, Robot comes forth with an approach wholly unique from the rest of the disc. Bits of The Misfits can be heard here, while Bad Mary is able to put their own unique touch upon the album’s second half shortly after.
Last Night At the End of the World has a fun, glam rock (New York Dolls / Motley Crue) approach to the guitars and drums, while the album’s final track, Ordinary Day ends things as emphatically and as quickly as the disc began. The dynamic between the vocals and guitars here keeps fans as happy and as stoked as they were when the disc began.
Top Tracks: Last Night At the End of the World
Rating: 8.2/10
Bad Mary – The Return of Space Girl / 2019 Self Released / 12 Tracks / Domain / Facebook /