The Coathangers

The Coathangers’ debut 7-inch plants the seeds for a charismatic sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The melancholy garage-rock sneer of “Never Wanted You” is primitive, but hardly portrays the amateurish qualities expected from a group that has been together less than a year. The creepy crawl of “Spider Hands” summons a bat-cave skulk with slow and deliberate simplicity. “Tripod Machine” kicks off with cheerleader chants and winding guitars that burst with unfettered punk energy. The yelps and caterwauls that bleed into the pissed-off Valley girl mantra “Don’t Touch My Shit” test the threshold of the beholder, but tension breaks with a blood-curdling “FWAAACK YOU!” putting a sharp bite on a record that’s catty, bratty and a lot of fun. 4 stars

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The Coathangers play Lenny’s Wed., July 4, w/ Mack Messiah and the Hiss.