Death Valley Girls
Street Venom (Deluxe Edition)
SUICIDE SQUEEZE
7/10
The doom-boogie, psych-pop band Death Valley Girls launched their project in 2013, shortly after singer and multi-instrumentalist Bonnie Bloomgarden moved to Los Angeles—after a conscious decision to get sober—where she met Hole drummer Patty Schemel, her guitarist brother Larry Schemel, and bassist Rachel Orosco. “We spent a year messing around and jamming ’cause we all needed to play and have something safe to do that wasn’t AA,” Bloomgarden explained. Death Valley Girls put out their debut album Street Venom the following year, which they’re returning to now with the release of a deluxe edition.
Like a director’s cut, the deluxe version of Street Venom presents familiar garage pop sounds and proto-metal textures with more clarity and sharpness. Right away with opener “No Reason,” DVG unleash a sonic wave of crisp sound; “Sanitarium Blues” sounds fuller and heavier this time around, leaning into elements of grunge; “Red Glare,” with its howling vocals and buzz-saw guitar riffs, is an absolute crusher. The result is a reissue that gives new focus and meaning to details from the original release.
The deluxe edition is like returning to the past, albeit to a past that’s slightly different. By amplifying recurring elements found throughout their discography, Death Valley Girls have made the reissue sonically connected to their wider body of music. “Get Home” sounds psychedelic and hazy, much like the spacey songs from last year’s Under the Spell of Joy. Other tracks like “Shadow” have a hard-rock, bluesy quality reminiscent of tracks on Darkness Rains.
Even as the deluxe edition is a balancing act between the familiar and the new, what remains a constant in this release and others from Death Valley Girls is the troupe’s gift of delivering good old fashioned rock and roll. Street Venom is a record to sing along with, dance and head-bang to, and ultimately get lost in with the ecstatic feeling it inspires. That’s what Death Valley Girls do best, and it’s what they bring back to the deluxe edition of their debut.
