Despite their rigorous touring schedule and one-third of the band residing in L.A., the Coathangers found time to record a LP, and it feels like the band’s most comfortable release yet, even if their anger at the state of America is sharper and more defined than any previous record. Since they hit their stride with 2011’s Larceny & Old Lace, digesting each new release has been an exercise in embracing the tweaks and embellishments that have kept the band’s spartan tunes from languishing in repetition. In this case, it’s a mellow nucleus of vintage pop that accentuates fevered punk interludes.

The Coathangers - The Devil You Know

As their 2017 EP Parasite demonstrated, the group isn’t above serving up some leftovers, but even their more routine tracks still sizzle with the confidence of a trio that has surpassed early opinions of the band as something of a novelty act. Over the past decade plus, the Coathangers have intentionally confronted the reality that feminist-minded bands aren’t allowed to have fun unless they want to risk their artistic credibility, and even their sillier songs function as latent jabs at an industry and a scene that wanted to pigeonhole the group before they wrote their first record.

It’s due to this battle of perception that the Coathangers are the perfect lens for understanding the struggle of female artists to be taken seriously irrespective of gender, while still addressing topics central to women in the #MeToo era. Their ability to write both playful tracks and bombastic Riot Grrrl classics is more than a middle finger to the industry as proof they can do it all. It’s evidence of the group’s individuality and boldness in a world where the early reviews of the band relied more on their press photos than their songwriting.

This overarching sense of well-fought freedom crackles with electric energy throughout The Devil You Know. Even if the the election of Trump whipped the band into a frenzy again after 2016’s deliberative and well-rounded Nosebleed Weekend, the chaos is whipped into shape by a band on top of their game. On this album, poppy breakup tracks like “Bimbo,” haunting comedowns like “Lithium,” and ferocious political anthems like “F the NRA” exist in the same universe without feeling disjointed. Once again, the Coathangers display a knack for condensing ideas—political and otherwise—into compact sonic vehicles which bludgeon the listener into submission, although guitarist Julia Kugel’s recent essay for Talkhouse proves there’s serious analytical depth to the band’s songwriting process.

Although their formula for success has expanded, as well as their apparent love for Pixies-era college rock, evolution doesn’t mean the band is turning their back on what served them well in the past. Drummer Stephanie Luke’s gravelly yelps still serve as a foil to the melodic verses, even though the trio now wield a softer touch. This punchy combo evokes a comforting familiarity, as if to remind the listener that the Coathangers are still here and they’re still killing it, whether or not the critics think they sound enough like themselves.

More Info
Web: thecoathangers.com
Bandcamp: thecoathangers.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @TheCoathangersATL
Instagram: @thecoathangers
Twitter: @TheCoathangers