Girl in a Coma

Trio B.C. (Blackheart)

This Girl blew bangs off foreheads with 2007 debut Both Before I’m Gone, on Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records, putting the Alamo City trio in the hands of punk royalty. There’s a marked maturity to the songs of its second LP, singer/guitarist Nina Diaz still the rubber band holding the rhythm section – Diaz’s older sister, Phanie, on drums and bassist Jenn Alva – together. Her voice expands and contracts with ease, but it doesn’t rein in all the album’s crosscurrents. “In the Day” is a Smiths-esque ode beyond GIAC’s namesake, opener “BB” introduces a bit of Latin guitar, and on closer “Ven Cerca,” Diaz sings in Spanish. “Slaughter Lane” is a little bit country. Standout “Baby Boy” is a sonic, early-1990s rip. It’s an ambitious effort, but Trio B.C. could also be a bit more fuel efficient.

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This article appears in June 12 • 2009.

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