This is a reissue of the 1979 debut by the Raincoats, a sadly forgotten all-female British punk/postpunk band from the late 70s/early 80s. On this album, they quickly churn out ten great originals and a Kinks cover ("Lola"). Precise, choppy drumming and full bass lines help anchor a wonderful blend of complex and syncopated rhythms, angular and cacophonous guitar, catchy punk melodies, and unsettling yet gorgeous vocal harmonies. And to top it all off, many of the songs have a violin, which is bowed and plucked to perfection on "Life On the Line." Other songs range from more anthemic pop ("Black and White," "Fairytale in the Supermarket") to Gang of Fourish songs ("Off Duty Trip") to slower violin numbers ("The Void"). All of it blends together quite nicely and we owe much thanks to the "good folks at DGC" (and maybe others as well) for unearthing this treasure for us. (Tim Ross)