Since their 2013 debut album,
Ride Your Heart,
Bleached's
Jennifer and
Jessie Clavin have been cleaning up the rough edges of their punk-pop. On
Don't You Think You've Had Enough?, they share how they cleaned up their lives. Their first work as sober artists, the sisters' third album reflects the turning point the Clavins faced after
Welcome the Worms. On that album,
Bleached put plenty of attitude and fuzzed-up amps between themselves and their problems; this time, they confront them, bidding farewell to toxic friendships on "Silly Girl" and dysfunctional relationships on "Rebound City." The Clavins' clearer perspective is mirrored by the clarity of their songs and performances. Working with producer
Shane Stoneback, they hone their music to its hookiest lyrics and punchiest riffs; on the strutting opener, "Heartbeat Away," they sound catchier -- and more in control -- than ever. "Daydream" gives the songwriting skills they've had since "Think of You" room to bloom, while "Somebody Dial 911" updates the tough-but-slick sound of
Blondie and
the Go-Go's. The time
Bleached spent on the road with
Paramore was also a major influence on
Don't You Think You've Had Enough?, for both better and worse. Though "Real Life" is just as confessional, relatable, and joyous as
Hayley Williams and company at their finest, sometimes the Clavins follow in that band's pointy-toed footsteps a little too closely -- "Hard to Kill" and "Kiss You Goodbye" are clunky forays into dance-punk that feel too contained for the sisters' irrepressible style. Fortunately,
Bleached get a little rougher and a lot more real on the second half of
Don't You Think You've Had Enough? Autobiographical glimpses like "Valley to LA" -- where
Jennifer Clavin sings about "wishing we were punks from '82" -- and "Awkward Phase," which embraces puberty's most embarrassing moments, zits and all, show just how confident, and vulnerable,
Bleached are at their best. That's especially true of "Shitty Ballet," an outpouring of slippery acoustic riffs and cathartic outbursts. It feels like the kind of breaking point that leads to real change, something
Don't You Think You've Had Enough? is filled with. Though
Bleached are still figuring out how to use their newfound clarity, the process finds them generating sparks like never before. ~ Heather Phares
