A lot of people think that Northampton originals Potty Mouth got their name from the Bratmobile album – and it makes sense. 90s grunge sensibilities, an effortless chill that recalls the best of West Coast punk, and a penchant for breezing though cultural commentary (fig. 1 – “Black and Studs“) with an air of already being over having to talk about it. But despite whatever Riot Grrrl comparison you and I are waiting in the wings with, Potty Mouth, like its name, is a singularly original project, with no allegiance to genre or message – only to itself.

It logically follows, then, that Potty Mouth would venture into experimenting with a more polished pop sound on their new eponymous EP, but I wondered how the new songs would stack up when the band brought their show, fresh with a new guitarist, to Great Scott this past Monday.

Singer Abby Weems and co. brought the crowd up after solid sets from Salem punks Gravel and local psych-folk act Bong Wish as she led the band through the entire new EP, as well as old favorites like “The Spins” and even a Weezer cover (although I was really hoping for a Pink Slip cover, if we’re getting really honest here). The new tracks blended seamlessly with the garage-slack of the band’s older material, changing lineup and fancier studio production aside. Potty Mouth’s set seemed to cement the idea that these Smith Collegians are much more than another college band to come out of Massachusetts, their sound much more than the sum of the 90s punk comparisons with which they’re so often stuck.

As Weems sings on new track “Creeper Weed,” “I’m confused what you mean when you say I’m not me / As if the part of me you knew was all there was.” Yes, Potty Mouth hails from Smith College, and yes, the all-female lineup is an intentional decision on the band’s part – but the band is not, and does not wish to be, a vanguard for feminist punk in 2015, despite their on-paper qualifications. And their new material is a crystalline pop reflection of that dichotomy. When explaining the inspiration behind their fantastic new single “Cherry Picking,” Weems told the Fader: “I think people put a lot of stake in the legitimacy of bands as a collective, and project a singular image/brand on them. Some people are really good at that, they’ve totally got their shit down and it works, but I know for me personally that’s been a weird struggle because people expected our band to fit into this riot grrl revival type thing, and that’s just not us at all.”

So Potty Mouth may not be the riot grrrl band Gotham deserves, but after leaving Great Scott last Monday, it’s apparent that they’re the really fucking good band we need. Armed with an ever-maturing sound and an uncanny pop sensibility, the future is bright for these Northampton punks, and just as bright for our record collections.

Gravel

Bong Wish