Just A Box For Jabba The Hutt

Fight Like Apes “Pop Itch”

Fight Like Apes have been missing for some time now, long enough that I think I just assumed they had broken up. Well, close enough – the rhythm section quit, and though the one guy who did a lot of backup vocals is still around, he’s barely singing at all now. As a result, the band’s third album, Fight Like Apes, feels more like a MayKay solo album. That’s not a bad thing, though – she’s charismatic and great with melody, and though she’s toned down the band’s more abrasive characteristics this time around, she has not abandoned their peculiar sense of humor. One of the best things about MayKay is how she fills her songs with odd jokes and weird images, but then hits you with something very raw and sincerely emotional. It always seems to come out of nowhere, and sometimes fully overlaps with the strangest lines. “Pop Itch” sounds like a sideways version of Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” and channels some of that song’s mix of absurdity and poignancy. But as always, MayKay is self-effacing and perhaps a bit self-sabotaging – the most memorable bit of the song is a non sequitur that has her repeating the name “Jabba the Hutt” for comedic effect.

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