Tizzy
SCARY IN ADULTHOOD
(VITAL COG)

Tizzy, a punk-pop trio from Northampton, have spent the past seven years on the well-traveled road to indie-rock respectability, slowly working their way up to this, their first full-length, by touring behind half a dozen assorted singles and EPs on labels like Pop Narcotic, Darla, and spinART. Scary in Adulthood splits the difference between the feminist punk of Sleater-Kinney and the more innocuous commercial power pop of Veruca Salt. The disc’s best tracks — the raucous " Cut Down Fight " and the more melodic and contemplative " Charmed Life Girls " — demonstrate the knack bassist Jen Stavely and guitarist Joel Boultinghouse have for combining crisp female vocals with distorted guitar sounds and lots of feedback; and drummer Teri Morris contributes some pleasant background vocals. But the group’s limitations surface on " Bumper Sticker Town, " a plodding and joyless indictment of Northamptonites who view putting political bumper stickers on their cars as some kind of rebellious act; the song is about as potent as a " No Nukes " sticker on a brand new Saab. Tizzy have figured out how to get the grrrl-punk sound without losing the infectious spirit that come with being a young and restless indie-rock band. They just haven’t had enough practice filling a full-length album to keep out the clunkers.

Issue Date: August 2 - 9, 2001