The Muffs

The Muffs leave the garage behind and retrogress to caves for this self-titled release. Shattuck tries almost too hard to sound grungy and amateurish, then blows her cover with some cool melodies on "Everywhere I Go." There's a certain charm to the group's 3-chord riffing and primitive rhythms (provided by the male half of the quartet) that seems to have most appeal when driving a vehicle beyond the posted speed limit on a hot, sunny day. But stretched over 16 tracks, the forced minimalism begins to wane in appeal.