WILD FLAG - S/T

The Riot Grrl movement of the '90s was a hugely significant one for many reasons, but one thing it didn't produce in large quantities was skilled musicians. That was kind of the point—after all, it was the way that Kathleen Hanna's aggressively off-pitch, obnoxious wailing collided into her bandmates' hungry, haphazard playing that made Bikini Kill sound so feral and dangerous (like a lot of great punk rock).

But Sleater-Kinney—a later entry that started to make a spark as many of the movement's early embers were dying—were different. Led by guitarists/vocalists Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, this trio matched politically-charged fury with playing of increasing invention and energy, especially after the introduction of drummer par excellence Janet Weiss on their first great record, 1997's Dig Me Out. By the time the group reached their end with 2005's monstrously loud The Woods, seeing the band play live was an experience on par with witnessing some of the greatest rock bands ever produced. Yes, they went out on a high note, but their likes have never been seen since.

It's understandable, then, that the biggest news about Wild Flag is that it's the first time Brownstein and Weiss have played together since the days of S-K. But, while I doubt it was calculated as such, just as worthy of note is the potential the band has to reignite the career of Mary Timony. As the main writer behind '90s act Helium, Timony was always too obtuse and introverted a presence to sit fully alongside the other grrls. Though her music certainly addressed gender politics, she was far less direct about it, preferring to use intricate instrumentation, coy metaphor, and, eventually, full-on tales of dragons, witches and wizards. Her solo albums since the end of Helium are all worth a look, but none have quite the beguiling mixture of grit and wit she displayed early on.

And so, with the addition of Rebecca Cole (formerly of The Minders) on keyboards, the stage is set to have Wild Flag be a return to form for some of the most beloved cult musicians of their day. And it is a huge relief to say that the record completely kicks ass.

Throughout, Timony and Cole slip seamlessly into Weiss and Brownstein's already well-established musical mind-meld (and, in fact, display that Helium and S-K's guitar styles were not all that dissimilar to begin with). From the frantic first notes of "Romance" to the head-nodding conclusion of "Black Tiles", everyone is playing for keeps, as though they're all aware of how fortunate this second chance is. Even songs that don't go for the jugular, like "Electric Band" and "Something Came Over Me", show a group of players whose understanding of each other runs far deeper than the scant few months they've actually played as a band.

But considering that the one big question going into the group was how Weiss and Brownstein would fare without their ex-bandmate Corin Tucker's mighty pipes, what's maybe most pleasing about Wild Flag is how terrific the vocals sound throughout. Brownstein developed a unschooled, raw intensity that over the years grew to hold its own against Tucker's hurricane bluster, but she's rarely sounded as energized as she does on the back-to-back dose of "Future Crimes" and "Racehorse"—the latter turning into an absolute vocal throwdown by its conclusion. Timony—always a far more ephemeral, mystical presense, but also a much better singer—acquits herself beautifully by never trying to match Brownstein's fury. Her quiet confidence is beguilingly evident at all times. And so while Timony's songs are definitely less immediate, the entrancing ways they unfold over repeat listens brings balance to a debut that could've been high on adrenaline, but low on depth. Instead, tracks like the awesome psych workout "Glass Tambourine" and punchy closer "Black Tiles" end up as some of the best on the record.

These kinds of bands—you know, supergroups—rarely arrive with much of a shelf life. And for the most part, they're such a disappointment, we could care less. But (and unsurprisingly, given the hunger of the players involved) Wild Flag display a potency that suggests this could be far more than a fleeting moment in their respective careers. Here's hoping so.