Scout Niblett

Chances are you didn't think grunge was going to come back so quickly, but just like that, here it is. Alright, it's not full-on early ’90s grunge, and guitar solos certainly do not abound, making Scout Niblett's second Albini-produced record more of a dirty, swampy, slacker rock thing that tips a hat to ripped jeans and not giving a shit. Kidnapped by Neptune maintains the signature drum-based, sweet voiced style of I Am, but fleshes it out with a lot more guitar. The title-track jumps out with an insistent dance-y beat, repetitive chants and electro laser beam sounds. Niblett's sad and dreary leanings are revelled in throughout the smart "Pom Poms," and the crunchy guitars that define the brilliance of the record make their first appearance in "Lullaby for Scout in Ten Years." Niblett is excellent at the loud, screamy rock that's touched on in I Am, but what makes this record great is that it moves the more aggressive side of her personality to the forefront. Though it's not all kicking and screaming — Niblett's success is rooted in her skill at perfectly positioning the quiet and longing bits next to the harmonic and bluesy loud ones. While I Am was a diamond in the rough, Kidnapped by Neptune is ultimately a more listenable, fully realised and perfectly executed experiment with soft and harsh.