PENS

Putting a riot grrrl twist on no-fi scuzz-pop, all-female London trio Pens slot themselves somewhere between Wavves, Vivian Girls and Times New Viking, but very probably in an even more abrasive and technically incompetent fashion than any of those groups could muster. You get the distinct feeling that Pens are in danger of pushing this movement too far beyond breaking point, too late in its life cycle. Bar the undoubtedly addictive high-energy melodicism of 'Freddy' there's really not too much to separate this band from the ever-increasing crowd of like-minded souls doing this exact same thing elsewhere in the world. Sure, if you're not yet entirely fatigued by all this business then it may well be a worthwhile use of twenty-seven minutes, but to lo-fi cynics Hey Friend, What You Doing? might stand as proof that the movement's absolute democratisation ultimately yields absolute blandness.