{"id":10023,"date":"2023-10-28T19:47:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-28T18:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=10023"},"modified":"2023-12-08T19:50:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T19:50:15","slug":"problem-patterns-show-plenty-of-anger-and-energy-with-debut-album-blouse-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=10023","title":{"rendered":"Problem Patterns show plenty of anger and energy with debut album Blouse Club"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALBUM REVIEW: Problem Patterns – Blouse Club (Alcopop! Records)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Irish DIY feminist queerpunk quartet Problem Patterns<\/strong> are one of the brightest up-and-coming names in UK punk, and this is their long-awaited debut album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’ve already won admirers in the shape of punk rock legends Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill) and Henry Rollins (Black Flag), and it’s easy to see why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their angry message of inclusivity and activism is perfect for the divided times we live in, and the 12 tracks here make up one of the most vital albums I’ve heard in a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belfast-based Alanah, Bethany, Bev and Ciara got together in 2018, and the first thing that makes Problem Patterns stand out from the punk pack is that they don’t have defined roles in the band.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Problem
Problem Patterns. Pic by Ellen Blair.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

They don’t have a frontperson, and swap instruments and roles freely, so each member has a voice. Musically it’s a bit ramshackle, but in a good way, reminding me of female punk pioneers The Slits. Oh, and they’re angry. Very angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That much is obvious from opening track Yes All Women<\/em>, which rages about men’s attitudes towards women. “She shouldn\u2019t have to be your girlfriend\/She shouldn\u2019t have to be your lover\/A woman\u2019s worth should not come down\/To how much you wanna fuck her.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loud and proud<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s a stunning line drawn in the sand about what to expect from Blouse Club, but it’s not the angriest song here, not by a long way. The lo-fi Big Shouty<\/em> warns: “Don\u2019t put me in my place\/I will not tame my rage,” while Advertising Services<\/em> rages “When the people are hungry they\u2019ll eat the rich.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A History of Bad Men Part II<\/em> is a searing take-down of the patriarchy and a litany of bad experiences at the hands of men, while Lesbo 3000<\/em> sees Problem Patterns reclaim their sexuality loudly and proudly in the face of homophobic slurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n