Original Riot Grrrl and Bikini Kill leader Kathleen Hanna initially considered The Julie Ruin a one-off project that served as her alter ego back in 1998. Then her band Le Tigre took up her time and energy for the ensuing decade. But in 2010, Hanna began working with an interesting mix of musicians like filmmaker/actor/drummer Carmine Covelli, newcomer guitarist Sara Landeau, former Bikini Kill bassist Kathi Wilcox, and keyboardist Kenny Melman—and The Julie Ruin was back in a new formation. The sound here flows between guitar-based punk aggression and spunky dance-floor synths; it sounds like the emphasis was on capturing energy rather than finesse. Hanna isn't a traditional singer and shouldn’t be if the band is to succeed. She screams, yelps, pokes, laughs, and sings with an attitude that puts the songs over the top. “Ha Ha Ha” feels like a taunt. “Oh Come On” drives with aggression. “Just My Kind” slows things for nearly a reflective moment. “Girls Like Us,” “Cookie Road," and “Kids in NY” take a variety of points of view regarding the world around them.