A powerfully triumphant return

For their first album in 15 years, Nashville punk outfit Be Your Own Pet seem to have returned with more edge than ever. With powerful instrumentation and vocalist Jemina Pearl Abegg’s laser-sharp wit, Mommy is the group’s best output yet.

From the opening notes and beats of “Worship The Whip,” the group storms in with a fury. Guitarist Jonas Stein’s easy-flowing riffs provide ample backing to Pearl’s viper-like vocal prowess slithering about BDSM and submission, while drummer John Eatherly perfectly keeps the group together. The track provides mountains of buildings and breakdowns that keep the listener hooked until the end.

Compared to their thrilling self-titled debut and sophomore effort Get Awkward, Mommy is all its own treasure. It’s more packaged, the overall production is a lot smoother and the rocky self-produced ambiance from their early albums is eradicated by evolution. As a response, the lyrical nature of the album still held that youthful feeling.

Another one of the album’s lead singles is proof of that claim. “Goodtime!” is a true anthem of the struggle of growing up, watching others become adults with jobs and big responsibilities, but there’s a huge catch. Everyone else hasn’t grown up and still gets to enjoy life, but Abegg has been absolutely duped: “I don’t wanna be left behind/ When everyone else is having a/ Good time! Good time! Good time! Good time!” The song’s best part must be its realism, which borders on dry humor with phrasing similar to Courtney Barnett and Jenny Lewis: “And that’s another thing/ No one ever calls me anymore/ Is everyone hanging out without me? What the fuck?”

Abegg’s vocals are easily compared to Kate Fagan of Heavy Manners or Cherie Currie of The Runaways. With an outstandingly crisp sound, Abegg uses a mix between head and chest voice, straining when the lyrics become increasingly urgent. On “Hand Grenade,” Abegg’s chorus strain makes it the most addicting part of the song.

The best track on the album has to be “Never Again,” a track that could be the perfect combination of Joan Jett and Hole. The guitar work throughout the song is simple with slight flourishes and a small, distorted solo, the drumming is incredibly steady without many frills and the bass is almost invisible, but its small appearances give the track an edge. While the instrumental may be simple, the killer instinct of this song comes in the form of Abegg’s vocals.

Abegg’s drawl comes off as cruel and vengeful on every syllable as she discusses an ex that truly let her down and broke her down. But in her remembrance, she learns that she is much better off and that none of it will ever happen again: “Now you come on hands and knees/ Begging me just to kiss the ring/ But I won’t bend to you anymore/ I’m on a different level.”

Overall, Mommy is the comeback that Be Your Own Pet deserved and proves that even with decades away, their spirit and energy are still as bombastic as ever.