Los Angeles-based pop punk outfit Go Betty Go kick-off their Black & Blue EP with a chant: “Fight Betty Fight.” My initial thought was that, almost twenty-five years into their career, Betty Cisneros (guitar), Nicolette Vilar (vocals), Michelle Rangel (bass) and Aixa Vilar (drums) have not lost any of their drive. That is certainly true, but here it is even more a reference to the intense struggle with Betty’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis (hence the album title). Anyway, the six tracks that follow – including two newly recorded live-show fan favorites, written long ago but never released: City Lights and Am I To Blame – are everything you could wish for. They may be shaped by personal and collective hardships, they reflect resilience and grit and leave an optimistic feeling. Raw energy, melodic riffs and catchy whoo-hoo harmonies celebrate the battle won. A band name has rarely been so appropriate.

Black & Blue, produced by Davey Warsop, is out now on 12″ vinyl through Wiretap Records.

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