Los Angeles queercore / post-punk quartet French Vanilla’s new album, How Am I Not Myself?, is brash, bold, funny, a dare for all of us to do something terrifying – let our true selves come out of our shells and face the world.
The instantly groovy “Real or Not” starts the album with funky bass and Sally Spitz’s hooping and hollering vocals that dance almost as much as Daniel Trautfield’s saxophone. Spitz more or less asks if we’re are living our truth or succumbing to outside influences and living a lie for someone else’s sake. “Lost Power” is a sharp takedown of Spitz’s former lover. “All the Time” was the first single off the album, and it’s as funky as hell with Greg Shilton putting down chops as slick as the shine on James Brown’s boots.
“Friendly Fire” is a clever track about the stresses of queer folk realizing their nature while in a straight relationship. Guitarist Ali Day unleashes a cool guitar riff on “Protective” that’s somehow jagged and fuzzy at the same time. The whole track brings to mind early B-52’s records with its urgent rhythm and excellent vocals by Spitz.
Trautfield’s sax gets another good workout on “Suddenly” (He seems to be everywhere at once on the song.), which also boasts another fabulous bass line to back it. It builds to a hip-shaking groove and, I can attest, is great for a workout playlist. “Joan of Marc,” the wonderfully titled “Bromosapien,” and “Move Along, Move Ahead” stick a feminist middle finger in the eye of misogyny, “man-splaining,” sexism, and body / sex shaming.
“I saw the future. I held it up to my face. It was absolutely fascinating,” Spitz sings on “Sensitive (Not Too Sensitive).” The album ends with this track encouraging all of us to follow French Vanilla’s path and live true in what could be a fascinating future if we choose to have it.
How Am I Not Myself? is a question we all need to ask ourselves, sometimes daily, and it’s an album we all need to hear.
Keep your mind open.
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