Petrol Girls - Album Review

PETROL GIRLS NEW ALBUM ‘BABY’

It’s 2022 (fuck - where did the years go…) and the music industry, to state the obvious, is dysfunctional - yet saturated. 

With so many platforms that are so easy to access, almost anyone can make and release music, and thus get their voice, opinions and outlook out there. (Actually being heard is another matter that we won’t go into here!) With so many musical options screaming for attention, it can be hard for bands to be discovered, and when they are it tends to be by people who are already within the realms of thinking along the same lines, musically and politically as the artists that drift into your awareness. 

Once upon a time there were “local” bands - who came from your area and played small & local venues. They would sell their physical music (CDS!) to people who attended said shows. Then there were famous bands. Bands who were played on the radio & television. There was still “Pop” and “Rock” - division in genres, but for the most part - music was mainstream and mass heard. Meaning, someone could happen across a band, that was outside of their previous preferences quite easily and LEARN SOMETHING. About the world. About themselves. It was easier to be shook. 

The Petrol Girls need to be heard. They are here and serving up truth, power and information, and frustratingly, the people that really need to hear this shit…probably won’t (that’s why sharing and social media is such a valuable tool).

Petrol Girls have always been biting tooth and nail hitting back at society for all of it’s flaws and with this latest record they really hit out at the most perfect and ridiculous time in modern history. 

‘BABY’ was released on 24th June 2022, the day that Roe vs Wade was overturned, making abortions illegal in over half of the US. We’ve sat with this record for nearly a week and it’s still hard to know what to say. 

Here are a few quotes from vocalist Ren; 

“I hate the way that women and marginalised genders are held to such a way higher standard than cis-men…I think we have a lot of questions to ask ourselves collectively in terms of how we deal with harm, conflict, and abuse, and differentiate between them.” 

“I’ve been learning so much about transformative justice, which is where abolitionist politics and activism against gender based violence really come together, and was very inspired by Adrienne Maree Brown’s book ‘We Will Not Cancel Us.’ I also just really needed to reject this pressure to always act and speak completely perfectly, which has had a severe impact on my mental health by putting me in a constant state of hyper-vigilance and piling up alongside other pressures to make me mentally collapse. For me, our new album is so much about recovering from that severe depressive episode, and a crucial part of that was saying fuck it, I will never do enough, I will always make mistakes, but as long as I am true to my values and reflective that’s fucking fine.” 

Side-stepping slightly, the huge emotive element and meaning behind the record, hitting in with a weird little intro, first track “Scraps” we’re reminded that this is a music record…not just a political one. It’s a treat for the ears, heart, brain & soul. 

The petrol’s power comes through hardest and most resonating on song “Baby I had an abortion”

I’m a god-damn should-be-mother 
Got a womb so that’s my purpose 
I’m a god-damn incubator 
But baby I’ll see you later 
Whose life are you pro? 
Whose do you want to control? 
Heaven forbid my rights 
Heaven forgive what I decide 

This record is important. This band is special, smart, focused and talented. We need bands like Petrol Girls to spread these important messages and educations through the power and magic that rock music carries.