Album/EP

The Linda Lindas - Growing Up (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Apr 3, 2022

7 min read

The Linda Lindas - Growing Up
Released: April 8, 2022

Lineup:

Bela Salazar aka Linda Linda No. 1 // guitar, vocals
Eloise Wong aka Linda Linda No. 2 // bass, vocals
Lucia de la Graza aka Linda Linda No. 3 // guitar, vocals
Mila de la Graza aka Linda Linda No. 4 // drums, vocals

Online:

Official Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

When people think female-fronted punk bands, the majority of people automatically think Paramore, and pop-punk bands of a similar ilk, or Avril Lavigne. But there is a great world of amazing punk bands comprising and fronted by kick arse women who make topical, political, socially conscious music that embrace a multitude of punk subgenres like Brody Dalle, Brenna Red, Aimee Interrupter, Bad Cop/ Bad Cop, Being Jane Lane (among others)… and now we can add The Linda Lindas to that list.

Opening Growing Up with ‘Oh!’ the song is a throwback to the riot grrrl era, with its guitar riffs, staccato vocals, and chant of “oh!”. Title track ‘Growing Up’ follows, and starts with an acoustic guitar before launching into a loud guitar riff. Alternating between sweet vocals and a driving drum beat, the song is ridiculously catchy. ‘Talking To Myself’ takes a more pop approach, and vocally is similar in sound to The Bombpops, with its head-bopping rhythm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm1Sew7lAG4

‘Fine’ has snarling vocals, and is reminiscent of 80s British punk, with its The Clash-esque/The Jam-like drums and guitars. Maintaining the old school punk sound with lyrics about a cat, ‘Nino’ is a little discombobulating at first, but has its charms, especially when you take into consideration that The Linda Lindas are aged between 11 and 17, writing about their cat seems pretty appropriate.

Starting with a rhythmic guitar riff and drum beat, ‘Why’ keeps bringing the edginess. Paying homage to their Latinx heritage is ‘Cuantas Veces’ with its summery vibe and wholesome vocals. ‘Remember’ follows, which kicks back into punk rawk mood. While ‘Magic’ includes some synths to add to the 80s inspired sounds and a memorable hook.

Next is the song that put The Linda Lindas on the map, ‘Racist Sexist Boy’. It is pure heavy punk with its grungy guitars, and scathing vocals with screams commenting on how the young Linda Lindas have had to deal with both racism and sexism, as females and Asian-Latinx musicians. Finishing the album with a cover of ‘Linda Linda’, the Japanese song by The Blue Hearts, which inspired the band’s name, is a nice way to end the album.

Growing Up is an uncomplicated punk album, that takes inspiration from a range of sources and sounds. Having all four girls provide vocals, means that there is something for everyone, from the more melodic to the more aggressive. Lyrically the album can be a little simplistic, but creating a sound that is reminiscent of a time that precedes Bela’s (the oldest Linda Linda) birth by two decades is impressive, as is the impact the young women have already had on the music scene. And let’s be real, we need more young women making kick arse punk rock music. Anyone else feel grossly inept?