Sarah Hethcoat – Nobody Likes a Bully
  1. Sarah Hethcoat
  2. Nobody Likes a Bully
  3. Released Independently
  4. myspace.com/sarahhethcoat

Sarah Hethcoat – Nobody Likes a Bully

Tracklist:
1. I Hate You
2. I Got You
3. You Tease Me
4. A New Day
5. Strong

A guitar that runs you down stairs, a voice that brings you right back up, and a mood that speaks of darkness and the light at the end of the tunnel all work together to create “I Got You,” the enthralling single from Sarah Hethcoat’s latest EP, “Nobody Likes a Bully,” produced by Dave Cobb (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Chris Cornell). The song begins with a riff obviously influenced by great 60’s rock bands like The Beatles and The Doors, and this sound is only enhanced by the chaotic bridge where Hethcoat’s vocals begin to resemble Janice Joplin at her most spastic. Not bad for an album that I was ready to dismiss as chick-rock-anthems after hearing “I Hate You,” the fun, upbeat, emotionally-driven break-up song filled with the angry bitterness expected from the aforementioned subgenre. The music fits well with modern indie-rock via jangly guitars and an electronic overtone, but the lyrics and mood are a bit alienating for this male listener. The other songs tend to take a more reserved pop rock ballad sound that would fit well on today’s radio, with the addition of piano and strings (“A New Day,” “Strong”) or an acoustic guitar base (“You Tease Me”). While the lyrics are most likely to connect with women (especially those “strong enough to leave” a bad relationship), Sarah’s music is full of heart and tiptoes the tight-wire of retro-influence and powerful vocals that could easily fall among both quirky indie-rockers and glamorous pop divas.

7/10