I feel like I might have a hard time writing this review without feeling like a bit of a sexist pig, but here goes nuthin’. Anyways, Tacocat is a band that represents a lot of things I happen to like. This is evident most immediately in the band’s namesake, but also in the fact that they hail from my hometown of Seattle in a time when there aren’t a ton of nationally-known bands coming out of The Emerald City. They also happen to embody my favorite kind of music, which is catchy rock songs propelled by loud, crunchy guitars. And there also happens to be the fact that a big part of their aesthetic is an irreverent approach to feminism, which I find refreshing while also realizing that feminism usually isn’t this much fun for a reason (but it doesn’t hurt, right?)
It’s not surprising that Tacocat would lean a bit more into their snarkier, more feminist-leaning tendencies on Lost Time, since their last album, 2014’s NVM was one of those near-perfect guitar-pop albums for which the phrase “ear candy” was practically invented. So instead songs like “Men Explain Things To Me” and “Plan A, Plan B” are a bit more acid-tinged in their taking down of dull white men (aka the scourge of the Earth). Which is totally fine, and I have no problem getting behind the idea that it’s just fucking ridiculous that it’s 2016 and somehow there are still guys out there who think it’s ok to treat women like they’re slightly-more-developed children. But at the same time, I really like hooks, and Tacocat are really good at crafting hooks, which seems to be less of the prerogative on Lost Time.
That said, there are still a couple of hook-filled ditties here that are pretty awesome. “I Hate The Weekend” is a particularly irresistible track that calls out all the software dorks in Seattle that flock to Capitol Hill on the weekend “just to act like a fucking slob”. Also, “I Love Seattle” is another track that I’m of course a sucker for just from the title alone, but also for its apocalyptic lyrics about how fucked we are if a tsunami ever hits the West Coast. And even if the songs aren’t quite as catchy this time around, Emily Nokes lyrics are just as sly and funny and reference-laden as ever. And the fact of the matter is, I have a hard time not rooting for a band this smart and weird and rockin’, so I will most certainly continue to root for Tacocat into the possibly bleak future.
Favorite Tracks: “I Love Seattle”, “I Hate The Weekend”, “You Can’t Fire Me, I Quit”