It’s no surprise that DIY punk supergroup YAKKIE’s debut offering, ‘Kill The Cop Inside Your Head’, is a political, feminist melting pot of anti-capitalist rage. The band is fronted by Dream Nails founder Janey Starling, who returns to the stage after stepping away from making music to focus on full-time anti-prisons activism. Starling is joined by drummer Maeve Westall of Jasmine.4T and Itoldyouiwouldeatyou, guitarist Robin Gatt, previously found fronting Personal Best and on bass for Petrol Girls, and bassist Laura Ankles of Colour Me Wednesday.
The concept of the “cop inside your head” originates from Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal, whose framework of the “theatre of the oppressed” puts the focus on active observation of theatre over passive spectating. Boal suggested that people do not act upon their political beliefs because they have internalised external oppressions. The cop in your head is preventing you from taking action, and YAKKIE are telling us to destroy the restrictions that it’s enforced on our behaviour.
The opening and title track is a short, staccato call to action. It’s political, absolutely, but it’s also melodic, riff-laden and foot-tappingly addictive. This theme is constant throughout the record; smart musicianship and powerful lyrics sitting side by side, buoyant rhythms and infectious licks underpinning heavy subject matter with skill and sensitivity.
‘Criticise Me’ leans heavily into the sound of a 90’s movie score with an up-tempo challenge on controlling relationships. Described as an “anti-fuckboy anthem”, ‘He Sleeps Alone’ picks apart the notion of the male loneliness epidemic and puts the focus on the culture of “situationships” created by men’s insecurities and desire for superficial validation. ‘Lean Out’ mixes up the tempos, as a propelling rhythm section accompanies a lyrical snarl declaring “they call it care, we call it unpaid work.” This track shines the spotlight on performative feminism and the capitalist rhetoric of individualism.
Juxtaposing the powerful rejection of toxic societal norms and calls to tear down patriarchal aggressions, there’s a vulnerability in ‘Atlas’, which opens with two minutes of stripped-back, delicate bluesy melodies before dropping into a solid grunge beat. The raw emotion of the lyrics, “I’ve outgrown the deepest love I’ve ever known,” show a sensitive and stark contrast to the ferocity of the previous track, hinting at the softness that can coexist with fury.
The pace picks up again with big riffs on the second single to be released, ‘Rabbit’s Got The Gun’, a textured anthem of resistance. ‘Right of Reply’ is a righteously angry delve into the reporting of fatal domestic violence, highlighting the way the media often shapes the narrative in a way that seems to blame women for their own deaths. ‘Secrets’ is another slower track awash with reverb, the tender vocals rising into a primal crescendo. The melody carries echoes of Skunk Anansie’s ‘All I Want’, a suggestion of the influence of the 90s political rock scene on YAKKIE’s music.
Another similarity between this confident debut and the music of bygone decades is that it was all recorded live onto reel-to-reel tape in just four days. This return to analogue feels critically relevant for the overtly anti-capitalist sentiment that embodies YAKKIE’s songwriting. There’s an authenticity from the fuzzy guitar string slides and a palpable energy in every track. It’s impossible to listen to this album without picturing the band bouncing around in the studio, fuelled with ardent vigour and a whole lot to say.
‘Take It All’ opens with the the spoken words “Yeah y…OK fine” over residual feedback and a rhythmic reset, a moment that cements the live nature of the recording. A rare imperfection, an unrehearsed beginning that makes the track feel that much more tangible, real and personal. Final track ‘Under The Pavement Is The Beach’ is an upbeat, singalong anthem. In a world of digital streams and commercially driven single releases, this album was written to be listened to in order and it’s clear that this concluding track is an intentional parting message of hope. It’s the ultimate act of rebellion and resistance: “We’ll scream…and we’ll plant some seeds…we’ll find a way out.”
It’s one thing telling you to kill the cop inside your head, but to do it so convincingly and in such an enjoyable manner is quite something else. YAKKIE write the kind of music that really does make you want to join a union, reject authority, gather the masses to protest and stand up for the oppressed. ‘Kill the Cop Inside Your Head’ is a call to action to mobilise, to find a collective voice and believe in your own power. Get ready to join the revolution.
ELLIE ODURNY