Get Damaged

Get Damaged's title takes a cheeky swipe at Universal, who removed these three songs from the U.S. release of Be Your Own Pet's second album, Get Awkward, because they were too violent. So, the band is inviting listeners to "get damaged" with full knowledge of just how depraved these songs are. There's no question that "Becky," "Black Hole," and "Blow Yr Mind" are violent — "Black Hole" is about being so bored that killing someone seems like a viable entertainment option — but they're so cartoonish and lighthearted in their own way that it's hard to imagine anyone being inspired to follow their leads in real life. Get Damaged's songs were also some of the most musically and lyrically interesting songs on Get Awkward, and removing them did some artistic damage to the album. The best song here (and on the versions of Get Awkward released elsewhere) is "Becky," a sharp-witted revenge fantasy about breaking up with a best friend and then waiting for her "with knives after class!" Set to '60s girl group-inspired pop with a fittingly sharp, punky edge, it sounds like Jemina Pearl sings it with a switchblade tucked in her beehive. These songs work fine on their own — although at just six minutes long, Get Damaged is a very svelte EP — but it's a shame they couldn't have been heard in their intended context in the U.S.