by Kris Handel
All in My Head, the latest EP from the Maggie Denning led New York four-piece Tetchy, continues to cement them as one of the more creative and fun punk bands around the present day scene. As a songwriter Denning continues to examine and attack life with equal amounts of passion and fury and each release unleashes a new strength and level of depth that seemed out of reach previously. Tetchy reach further into the questioning and anger/doubt of growing up, learning that its a constant of adult life, and looks at everything in and around themselves with unflinching honesty and heart. The band turned to the more aggressive on this collection of songs while never totally losing grasp of their pop instincts, musical progress, and searching lyrics.
Denning continues to harness her impressive vocal range and tonality, alternating a cautious innocence/timidity with a full out roar and in your face aggressiveness on a track like "Voices". She’s not afraid to challenge commonly held perceptions, either societally or personal, and does so with a serious bite that puts the audience on notice yet never loses the sense of playfulness that softens the many blows. Tetchy dissect their inner lives and negative self-talk leading to insecurities, isolation, and work through negative impressions with strength and courage over rumbling bass from Dylan Lapointe and the crunching guitars of Denning, Jesse French, and Chris Krasnow. Over screaming guitar leads and a powerful rhythmic charge, "Psychosomatic" tackles chronic illness as well as the separation and "invisible" lingering effects when such health concerns prove problematic for so many while being dismissed ever so easily.
Denning and company continue to ask tough questions of themselves and the public without any apparent hesitation and it's a breath of fresh air to hear a band so willing to put themselves out there on the front line. The ability to play with melodies while harnessing such simmering aggression is something that Tetchy continue to show they have quite the handle on, walking that specific tight rope with ease. Their releases continue to provide a new avenue for the band to fully display the wide range of sounds and emotions that make them so exciting to watch grow before the audience’s eyes, either live or in studio. All in My Head is a welcome purge of anger, anxiety, and an escape from the ever present tension of daily life. The EP is energizing and an embodiment of hard-worn compassion and the strength Tetchy proffer towards their universe as a whole.