Bloodsucker (with Bonus Tracks)

By 1991, Columbus, Ohio’s all-woman trio Scrawl had already been through the indie-rock grind, touring, putting out records on small labels and watching money flow into others’ hands. Their record company went bankrupt, effectively putting their three previous albums out of print and throwing their already marginal existence into question. This seven song EP, recorded quickly, efficiently, raw and honestly by Steve Albini, captures the group in particularly bitter mode. Effective, since what always gave Scrawl their necessary edge was not their limited musicianship but their emotional core. While Cheap Trick’s “High Roller” and Paula Abdul’s ‘Cold Hearted Snake” make for excellent counterpoint and show their disparate influences and ability to find the silver lining, it’s the cold and bitter tears that singers Marcy Mays and Sue Harshe seem to be either shedding or holding back throughout “Love’s Insecticide,” “Vi Ploriontos” and especially the heart-quavering “Please Have Everything” that define this little trio as a very large talent.