"Standin' in cemetery half past eight," the album begins, "gettin' ready to masturbate." With an opening line like that, you know that these gals have got the snotty garage-punk attitude down pat. Of course, that's the kind of attitude you'd expect from a song titled
"Baby's Goat a Hard-On,"
but it's still fun to hear the band perform with such bratty enthusiasm. Other song titles include
"Good Girl"
(they don't wanna be one) and
"Kill Yourself"
(their advice to someone who drives them insane-rhymes-with pain), while the lyrics address topics such as suicide, prostitution, and, of course, boyfriends. The music is primitive bubblegum punk that evokes such groups as
Thee Headcoatees
and
Nikki & the Corvettes
; the
Stuck-Ups
also seem fond of shouting phrases such as "hell no!" and "not you!" as if they were a cross between the
Ramones
and a high school cheerleading squad. Sometimes the vocals are too shrill and the self-conscious sassiness can get wearying after 14 songs. But it's hard to wear out your welcome when each song averages about 85 seconds, particularly when you sound like you're having this much fun. ~ Todd Kristel