Review | Bad Waitress – Bad Taste

Label: Royal Mountain Records

‘Bad Taste’ is the debut album from Toronto’s Bad Waitress and from the first strains of screeching guitar on opener ‘Rabbit Hole’, it’s evident that this is going to be a bit of an uneasy listen. The jagged distorted guitar is soon joined by drums that almost have a drawl about them and the bass which seems to anchor everything together. Kali-Ann Butala’s vocals sit somewhere between Brody Dalle and Karen O and act as an extra instrument, weaving through the track and adding another layer. ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ follows and itself sounds similar to a Yeah Yeah Yeah song but with a bit more weight and anger behind it with Kali-Ann and Katelyn Molgard attacking their guitar over the top of it.

The sound of ‘No Taste’ is best described as raw energy. From tracks like ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ to ‘Strawberry Milkshake’, it’s visceral with the drums sounding like they’re in the room with you and the guitars switching from riff-driven groove to seeing what sort of noises they can make with them. Live in Reverse is the closest you’ll get to a radio-friendly single. With an almost dusky cabaret feel to it, it still has a rawness to it that makes you feel like it won’t be long before it all boils over again.

With the guitars being as free as they are, it’s by no means a mess but rather controlled chaos. Each song feels like a song but just played with conviction and an element of freeness in the structures. Art punk is a term that may turn some people’s noses up but it’s the best way to describe it. As the final song ‘Restless Body’ draws to a close it feels like you’ve been taken on a ride and one you’re not soon going to forget.