With a fresh and fiery self-titled debut in 2006, Be Your Own Pet had an enormous amount of pressure when creating their sophomore album, Get Awkward. For their first album, Be Your Own Pet used songs that they have had for several years, but the songwriting and recording here was made from scratch.
So, where to start? Lead vocalist and songwriter Jemina Pearl Abegg drew her inspiration from the silver screen. "Bitches Leave" is an ode to the movie Robocop and its unique outlook on Michigan. Beyond The Valley Of The Doll inspires "The Kelley Affair," and "Zombie Graveyard Party" pays homage to Return Of The Living Dead.
Each song on the album bears the screaming symbol of rebelliousness. Although Get Awkward is very different and more "mature," in a pure sound evolution sense-because this band will hopefully never mature-it is utterly addicting.
But the shortest songs on the album are tantalizing and invigorating. "Super Soaked," which Jemina recorded on her 20th birthday, tells the listener-in a rather violent, you-better-listen-or-else way-that the band has not sacrificed any of their adolescence or recklessness in making this album. This theme is continued in the songs "Food Fight!" and "Creepy Crawl."
At first listen, it appeared the newer songs would hurt the haphazard attitude at Be Your Own Pet's live shows. But worries can be eased, as a concert last week was as crazy as ever proving that members of Be Your Own Pet are this era's punk prodigies.
Warning: The U.S. version of this album is missing the tracks "Becky," "Black Hole," and "Blow Yr Mind" due to controversial lyrics (which is typical of the rebellious band). But these tracks can be obtained from the U.K. version.
