In a recent press release about Speedy Ortiz‘s new album, Foil Deer, bandleader Sadie Dupuis mentioned that the music “feels stronger.” There’s always been a certain confidence within the Massachusetts band’s songs, even the sad ones, that dates all the way back to the fuzzy brilliance of the 2012 single “Taylor Swift” But “Raising the Skate” definitely feels like the band at its more empowered, and Dupuis’ diction is, per usual, razor-blade sharp. But just because I let you kill time dangling me from the quarry doesn’t mean that I won’t land on my feet, she sings softly during one of the song’s quieter moments, before it combusts into a sneering, muscular refrain: that’s cause I’m the boss, caller of the shots.
Dupuis says “Raising the Skate” is a mission statement of sorts. “It’s crazy frustrating seeing women and girls, myself included, put in positions in which they have to shirk credit for their talent or otherwise risk getting dissed as overbearing and bitchy,” “Being ‘the bigger person’ and letting others’ petulant behavior slide doesn’t always make you feel big.”Foil Deer” is out April 21st via Carpark Records.
The Fat Angel Sings 