Clever Girl does exactly what hardcore is supposed to do. It takes all the bottled-up frustration society causes, and shakes the hell out of it, then pops the cap. The difference is it does it strictly in regards to the effect on women. There are tracks which deal with other social issues; such as, the harms caused by racism and homophobia. Yet even these seem focused through a feminine lens, and an angry one at that. Despite this, it is important not to mislabel the release as “political” punk. The album doesn’t erroneously attempt to speak for all women (with maybe the exception of “Can I Get a Hell No”); the “I” voice is prevalent throughout the lyrics, settling the band’s thoughts as theirs and theirs only. Also, unlike bands such as Dead Kennedys, there are few, if any, references to actual politicians, laws, or legislations.
