Every pop wave needs its Linda Lindas: an earnestly edgy group, making music accessible even at its noisiest. They may have outgrown their viral moment–performing the original song “Racist, Sexist Boy” at the Los Angeles Public Library, but they’re just as outspoken as ever on sophomore release, No Obligation, a fresh, punk-tipped explosion of youthful energy. They come by it honestly, too: 75% of the quartet are still in high school, and the sentiments are purer for it. It’s easy to hear how they’ve come to open for the likes of Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, and Green Day, even though most of the group isn’t even old enough to vote yet.
There’s a familiar ring to a lot of it: the surf-rock opening of “Once Upon a Time”, the gravelly riot grrrl shouts of “No Obligation” and “Excuse Me”, Lucia de la Garza’s diaristic cries on “All in My Head”, and the powerful bass-and-drum pulse of “Too Many Things” all call to mind Californian pop-punk and emo circa the mid-2000s. At the same time, the Linda Lindas have plenty of original ideas and express them vigorously rather than relying on nostalgia to carry their messages forth.
Spanish-language track “Yo Me Estreso” is undoubtedly the most distinct piece on No Obligation, a spiky take on classic corridos that features “Weird Al” Yankovic (playing it straight) on accordion, India Anderson on tuba, and Kye Palmer on trumpet, all backing senior member Bela Salazar’s richly emotive vocals. It’s a standout, the furthest afield the group gets from their pop-rock core, and simply appealing in its own right.
There are plenty of other exceptional touches throughout the record. The guitar lines opening “Nothing Would Change” give starry gravitas to a song that uses the imagery of children’s games; “No Obligation” and “Excuse Me” both feature bassist and consummate screamer Eloise Wong railing against “your gender essentialism crap”. Beachy guitar chords give melancholy earworm “Once Upon a Time” a contemporary bedroom pop vibe. No Obligation ends with a short, throbbing “Stop,” a sharp critique of relentless nay-sayers (“You’re always staring / Think it’s all about you / But you’re the only one glaring / We got better things to do”). Even if you’ve heard songs of this ilk before, the Linda Lindas mean every word they say.
Much has been said about the Linda Lindas’ relatively easy access to production experience (Grammy-winning engineer Carlos de la Garza is Eloise’s uncle and the father of guitarist/vocalist Lucia and drummer/vocalist Mila). Certainly, that’s given them a particular platform. No Obligation, though, doesn’t deserve to be lumped into the derisive category of “nepo baby” works. The Linda Lindas are talented artists in their own right, and they give their emotional all from start to finish.
Power pop has never existed in a vacuum, nor does it need to. The Linda Lindas are carrying on a crucial tradition as old as music itself: voicing the trials inherent to growing up in a society that devalues perspectives of the young, the feminine, and the ‘different’ and doing so in a way that tells the countless others in comparable positions that they’re not alone. Almost as much as the music itself, that rocks.