Album Review: No Obligation by The Linda Lindas

The Linda Lindas gained widespread attention in 2021 after a video of their performance at the Los Angeles Public Library, which included their song "Racist, Sexist Boy" went viral. But it was their debut album, 2022's Growing Up, that truly cemented their place in the pop-punk landscape. With their second full-length release, No Obligation, The Linda Lindas continue to channel that fearless energy and youthful exuberance into an album packed with memorable songs.

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After an explosive performance of their single Racist, Sexist Boy at the LA Public Library went viral in 2021, teen post-punk sensations The Linda Lindas have continued to put out music made in-between school terms and over weekends. With their youngest member just out of middle school, the group already has an impressive oeuvre. No Obligation is their second full-length release, and it's a certified banger - exactly the kind of music I needed as a teenager (and still do).

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It's an attitude that kicks off the record's title track, a Runaways-style mission statement on not adhering to societal niceties: "You'd like me better if they didn't stare / You'd like me better if I grew out my hair. " Fast and sharp, "No Obligation" drop kicks you off a ledge and doesn't let up until it's over. "All In My Head" takes a turn to bedroom rock, a peak young adult lament.

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Every pop wave needs its Linda Lindas: an earnestly edgy group, making music accessible even at its noisiest. They may have outgrown their viral moment-performing the original song “Racist, Sexist Boy” at the Los Angeles Public Library, but they’re just as outspoken as ever on sophomore release, No Obligation, a fresh, punk-tipped explosion of youthful energy. They come by it honestly, too: 75% of the quartet are still in high school, and the sentiments are purer for it.

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The Linda Lindas continue to live out the teenage dream with their sophomore album ‘No Obligations’. The California band - whose members have an average age of 16.5 - channel the '90s as they borrow from the Gilman Street scene and Riot Grrrl , and broaden their scope with the Spanish-language ‘Yo Me Estreso’. ‘Excuse Me’ takes us back to the heavy, aggressive punk sound of their viral debut single, while on ‘All In My Head’ they return to the sweeter pop-punk of their debut.

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Anyone who witnessed The Linda Lindas' viral video back in 2021 knew that the quartet were onto something special but with their second full-length, they prove that their continued growth is just as exciting to witness. Considering the fact that 'Obligation' was made in snatches of time during school vacations, spring breaks and days off tour - three of their members are still yet to graduate high school, remember - it's an impressively cohesive record, which builds on their penchant for hooky punk rock and refines it into something punchier and more addictive. From the opening screams of 'No Obligation' through to the Blondie-esque swagger of 'Lose Yourself', via the urgent 'Resolution / Revolution', there's a worldliness present here that many adults still struggle to pin down.

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