The Slits – Trapped Animal (Sweet Nothing) Their first new album for 25 years, The Slits reformed in 2006, but their return to the studio has been slow. That’s not a bad thing. A reunion like this needs to be thought through properly. It’s all very well getting back together, playing a few dates and rediscovering a bit of the old magic, but recording new material, and potentially fucking with the legend; that’s not to be rushed into. Happily, they’ve got away with it and just as before, they’ve plenty to say. “Ask Ma” is a controlled rant about certain sorts of misogynistic men. “Lazy Slam” extols the virtues of comfy sexual shenanigans, and “Pay Rent” is about just that. Indeed they cover the majority of subjects that you’d expect The Slits to cover, and musically they’re the same genre-bending outfit they always were, though with their roots reggae core intact. But, some of the rough edges are missing (and sorely missed). This is to be expected. They must have practiced at some point over the previous 20-odd years, and a little of the knife-edge excitement is gone. Still, better to have them back making records and playing gigs (Leicester soon, please), than not, and for all my minor reservations, Trapped Animal is spending a lot of time in my CD player. http://theslits.co.uk Rob F. The Slits - Ask Ma The Slits - Typical Girls The Slits from Don Letts Punk Rock Movie Next