You Can't Fight What You Can't See
The mid-'90s are experiencing a bit of a renaissance in 2002. Perhaps the enduring proliferation of slick teen-pop and toothless hip-hop has finally sent people scrambling back to more substantial, albeit noisier, times. So what better moment for Brooklyn's quasi-hardcore heroes, Girls Against Boys, to reemerge? Leaving behind the ill-advised electronic ornaments of its previous major-label release, 1998'sFreak*on*ica, the quartet returns to its indie-rock roots, physically and spiritually, onYou Can't Fight What You Can't See. It is the band's most brutal album in ages, and the most fun, showcasing greasy riffs and joyously tilted rhythms on foundation-rattling tracks like "Kicking in the Lights" and "Miami Skyline." Dangerously exciting.--Aidin Vaziri