CD REVIEW: 7 YEAR BITCH – Live At Moe

Label: MOE Recordings

Release Date: January 15, 2016

Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

Twenty years in the making, Live At Moe is a perfect introduction and reintroduction to 7 Year Bitch.  If you aren’t familiar with this killer unit, you should be and can be thanks to this live show captured back in the day.  If you know who they are, this serves more as a greatest hits disc than an introduction, as this live show – except for a few sounds here and there – sounds more like a live studio recording than it does a live show.  “24,900 Miles Per Hour” opens sounding like a live track, but soon the music drowns out the crowd and the song takes charge and direction of the collection.  The animosity and angst of the song and band are evident, even after all these years.  “Crying Shame” has that familiar bass line bump that each of the bands heavier tracks featured.  The vocals are fierce and deliver the emotion of the lyrics with precision and purpose.  The drums and guitars bring the familiar sound full circle.  “Deep In The Heart” gives the set list a slowed tempo track that allows Selene Virgil-Wilk’s vocals and Roisin Dunne’s guitar the ability to swirl together and create a mood that weaves itself into the track.  “Miss Understood” brings Elizabeth Davis’ bass to the forefront, even while the vocal and guitar lead the charge from the second the song kicks off musically.  “The Midst” gives us more bass and guitars, but the back beat supplied by Valerie Agnew from behind the drum kit keeps the song steady and demonstrates the strength in simplicity this band is known for.  “2nd Hand” is a fun punk track that wraps the band together and delivers a shitload of punch and attitude in less than two minutes.

“M.I.A.” is another killer 7 Year Bitch track that benefits from a heavy handed bass, but also from the sporadic, almost spasmatic, drums and vocals.  The guitar is familiar and fun, kept lower in the mix, but not in the attitude of the track.  “Hip Like Junk” features Vigil-Wilk’s familiar vocals, but the track gives the rhythm section room to run, with the drums and bass adding punch, even when the guitar rears its fuzzy head.  “Rock A Bye” is a quintessential 7 Year Bitch song that lets each of the players deliver power and punch, without overwhelming the song, the arrangement, or each other.  The drums stand out for me, as they control the cadence of the track and keep the song marching forward.  “Lorna” is a charging track that prominently features Davis’ bass and Agnew’s drums alongside the fuzzy guitar of Dunne.  “The Scratch” gets the band and crowd going, as evidenced by the furious playing the bands instruments and the vocals that lead the charge.  The song moves us a little closer to the end of the disc without diminishing the fun and power of the rest of the disc.  It was instantly familiar when Selene screams “I want it give it to me; I love it.”  Disc closer “Kiss My Ass Goodbye” brings band and audience together in attitude and delivery.  Guitar and bass start off the fun, but soon the vocals add attitude to the songs delivery.  The drums that anchor the song are as strong at the end of this set as they were at the beginning.  This is the perfect ending to a 7 Year Bitch collection and show.

​Tracklisting: 24,900 Miles Per Hour – Crying Shame – M.I.A. – Deep In The Heart – Hip Like Junk – Miss Understood – Rock A Bye – The Midst – Lorna – 2nd Hand – The Scratch – Kiss My Ass Goodbye

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Category: CD Reviews