The Julie Ruin – Hit Reset
Released July 8th, 2016
Originally created as an experimental 1998 lo-fi solo project between her tenures in Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, The Julie Ruin is the brainchild of singer, songwriter, and feminist punk icon Kathleen Hanna. After re-launching the venture as a band in 2010, Hanna and her co-conspirators delivered their brash group debut, Run Fast, in 2013. Kathleen Hanna is know to be musically diverse, not just from band to band, but from album to album. The second album Hit Reset with her most recent band The Julie Ruin is the perfect blend. Though the album has its lighter moments, Hit Reset is mostly anything but. It’s an album about Hanna’s survival of the abuse she suffered in childhood, and in all its complexity and anguish, and right from the statement-of-intent opener it’s wrought with emotional pain. The constant changes of pace ensure that this is a record you’re never allowed to settle into. Equal parts harrowing parts of sorrow, and lighter moments of pure joy. Hit Reset is a 13-track sonic blast containing some of Hanna’s most personal material. It’s an enthralling listen where practically every moment feels as important as it is brilliant.
4.5 out of 5 stars
