Eleven surf-punk songs with hardcore vocals done in just over a half hour. Ambitious Career Woman (who is comprised of three males who are seemingly trying to make this their career) wants to grab your attention, and make sure they hold it, because they have a lot to say and a short time to get it all out of their collective system.
Lujo Records seems to court artists who employ tongue in cheek song titles. Much like The Evaluation or The Fall of Troy, ...To Avoid a Lawsuit has, um, unique titles. Examples include "Nuclear Winter Olympics," "'I' Before 'E' Except After Shut Up," and "Humiliated By a Celebrity in Public".
Like most records that employ any use of hardcore, I appreciate the guitar work here, and most of the drumming, but have a difficult time with the scream/growl nature of the vocals. At times, however, Adam MacKinnon actually sings, somewhat in the vein of the Dead Milkmen of singsong, almost chanting spoken word stylings "Understatement of the Year" recalls the Pixies, and "Public Display" makes me think of The Offspring, which should not be taken as a compliment. Ambitious Career Woman aims for the sounds of legendary punkers NOFX or Rancid, a goal that in fact has proven to be...ambitious.
2.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis January 2004Reviewed by Luke HarlowAmbitious Career Woman blends a variety of styles to produce some solid music. On "...To Avoid a Lawsuit," hardcore, punk, indie, jazz, and even a little surf influence can be heard. The songs are energetic, driving, and frenetic; they sound like they were crafted in Washington, DC, not Seattle. As classic DC hardcore seems to be a niche that the Louisiana-based Lujo Records is aiming at,…Similar sounding releases
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