The Pearl Harts - Glitter And Spit album review

Riot girls finally pull the trigger

Cover art for The Pearl Harts - Glitter And Spit album

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The London duo’s debut was due three years ago, and it’s hard to fathom the delay, given that Glitter And Spit sounds like it was fired off in one furious afternoon.

The guitar/drums filth-blues formula is well-worn now, but Kirsty Lowrey and Sara Leigh Shaw twist it up, supplementing their thunderous Zep-knock-off licks with samples, loops and nihilist vocals that suggest they took a few lessons in icy condescension from Shirley Manson while touring with Garbage. The standouts come early: Black Blood’s massive stop-start riff, Go Hard’s savage S&M (‘Tie you up/tie you down’) and the pouty, shouty Lara, with the pair hollering its scabrous hook like crazed cheerleaders.

It was worth the wait.

Henry Yates

Henry Yates has been a freelance journalist since 2002 and written about music for titles including The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Classic Rock, Guitarist, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer. He is the author of Walter Trout's official biography, Rescued From Reality, a music pundit on Times Radio and BBC TV, and an interviewer who has spoken to Brian May, Jimmy Page, Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie Wood, Dave Grohl, Marilyn Manson, Kiefer Sutherland and many more.