I am of the opinion that people celebrating their birthday should be treated. So discovering that Heather Sawyer, aka Heather Hussy, aka Heather The Jerk, gifted us a surprise new album for her own birthday feels like something we absolutely do not deserve. It comes on a very limited pressing of 25 tapes, which is obviously a wink at her new age.

Then you press play and get knocked sideways by its ramshackle charm. Sawyer brings the hits this time, leaning hard into the catchy garage-pop side of her songwriting. Wantlist favorite Doug Busson of Yuasa-Exide shows up, there is a killer cover of Hate Your Guts by Loli & the Chones, and still you will end up playing the whole thing front to back, over and over.

If the idea of a punked-up stash of lost ’60s girl group demos sounds good to you, this sounds even better. Heather and Josh rip through one hook after another with fuzz on the edges and zero polish where it does not belong. And if you are wondering how many times I played My Dumb Brain, I’m On My Way and Way it Goes today, I appreciate the question. I stopped counting yesterday.

Happy birthday, Heather. You really should not have. We are blasting it anyway.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp