Review: The Morning After’s Stay For Breakfast Is Girl Power Punk That Pulls No Punches

South sound band The Morning After, recently opened for Bret Michaels and Warrant at the ShoWare Center in Kent and easily stole the night with their punk power tunes and hard rocking vibe. They played songs from their disc Stay For Breakfast, released in February, and had a great time with fans after their set mugging for photos and signing discs. Singer Bri Ashlee Little and the rest of the band pulled no punches in the shadow of the big acts to follow.

I was pleased to discover the stage energy translated onto the disc without actually being a live recording. Little’s angry, clear vocals are a beautiful thing. The ladies in this band are young, spirited and unapologetic punk rockers, immediately evident in “Stigma,” the second song. Joan Jett and the Runaways can rest assured their legacy is honored here. “Burnout” carries the dark lyrics in the pop punk realm, but “Citizens United (The People Divided)” is pure, young political protest about money in politics.

A commentary on guns is the topic of “The Great American Insecurity,” while “Down the Drain” reflects on what it’s like to bleed monthly- as punk as you can get, in my opinion, but with beautiful harmonies, and a tricked out background percussion. “It’s pretty gross but we kind of like it, yeah.”
They haven’t been together very long but this group is clearly tight, know themselves and make sure to include humor in their approach to what can be some pretty depressing subjects.

Anna Mariko Seymour, drummer and backup vocals anchors the group with her driving style, while Stephanie Jones, bass and back-up vocals brings in the lowdown for Little’s soaring vocal flair. Astiana Stults on guitar rounds out the talented, astute and confident bunch.
In “Complimentary Song,” the mantra is purely feminist with “Fuck you man, get outta my face.” “Respect” further empowers women with “we are pissed off,” and other declarations which are fitting to the time of this writing, which is National Women’s Month.

The final song is a headbanger, “JustASecret,” which would be perfectly at home on any rocker’s playlist. All songs were written and recorded by the band with auxiliary vocals from Doc Woolf, Tony Brafford, Janelle Christine and Madisun Grindell, engineering, production and mastering by Fritz Jones at Wrong Note Studio.

(You can get the punk back in your life below, purchase it on Bandcamp  and/or get more info about The Morning After on Facebook HERE.)