I freely profess a profound ignorance of This Is My Fist’s oeuvre. Outside of a split 45, I don’t remember hearing anything else by ‘em, so I can’t really put this latest musical endeavor by their former singer against her previous work, draw comparisons, lament any potential perceived “sellout” moves that may be made here (“is that a guitar solo?!? Oh, the humanity!”), or lament the “old” days when bands like this ruled the roost. Nope, I’m tasked with taking this at face value, a new band with a new album. Verdict: it’s plenty good, kids—punky, mid-tempo, lo-fi tinged goodness, catchy without drowning in pop excess, with a dark thread weaving in and out to add some gravitas. The hooks are often subtle and sneakily effective. Good stuff. –Jimmy Alvarado (Dirt Cult)