Pregnant - 'Pregnant'

Last year, Brooklyn garage rockers Pregnant dropped a promising seven-inch stuffed with proto-punk fury a la Stooges or Cloak/Dagger. This year they released their full-length debut, a self-titled, 10 track affair that delivers… more of the same, just with less of a debt to grunge. While marginally cleaner, Pregnant is basically an extended version of Wanna See My Gun?, even going so far as to tack on two tracks from that release on at the end.

Not that I’m complaining. I gave props to Gun, and I give props to Pregnant as well, though with slightly diminished enthusiasm. Nothing here tops “God is Nein,” an insanely catchy number from last year. Given extra space, Pregnant slips in the occasional midtempo track, like when they sandwich the spacier “Skin Display” in between “Real Talk” and “Wormie.” They even reveal a knack for ’60s style garage rock, throwing in some guitar work worthy of early Kinks and the Who.

The A side is preferable by default; it boasts all new material while the B side winds down with “Wanna See My Gun?” and “You Give It to Me.” The A side also features “Help,” and that song is just a winner through and through. It rocks, it’s catchy, it’s better than every rock song that actually made it on to the radio this year. The B side repeats five more garage-y hits. The re-recorded versions of the old songs are a little distracting, especially during the few handclaps on “You Give It to Me,” but that’s probably just in my head.

Pregnant is a back-to-basics rock record, an album that’s refreshing for its energetic playing and understated pretensions. The guitars churn out dirges. The drums throw four on the floor. The bass is heavy and the vocals are snotty. It’s uncomplicated and awesome and the album cover features a spaceship exploding. Hell. Yes.