Sisters of Suave is a handy collection of the singles released by
Thee Headcoatees from 1992-1998 (on such labels as Vinyl Japan, Sympathy for the Record Industry, Munster, Twist, and Damaged Goods). Of the 16 tracks, five are covers and the rest were written by mentor/Svengali
Billy Childish (Thee Headcoats), who also brought the guitar noise. Standouts include an alternative version of the delightfully deviant "Ballad of the Insolent Pup" and the exuberant "Davey Crockett," which combines Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders' "Game of Love" with
the Ramones' "Pinhead" ("gabba gabba hey!"). In the spoken word intro to "Santa Claus,"
Childish (as Claus) acknowledges that it sounds a lot like "Davey Crockett" -- even if it's actually a
Sonics cover. Meanwhile, "Swallow My Pride" is a rendition of
the Ramones' song and not
Green River's. (Although, as a solo artist,
Holly Golightly would go on to cover
Mudhoney's "Good Enough.") "Swallow My Pride" is, appropriately enough, followed by "Come Into My Mouth," the title of which is meant to be taken literally and is easily the weakest (and crudest) selection on this otherwise fun -- sometimes silly -- romp through the career of the U.K.'s premier girl garage group of the 1990s. ~ Kathleen C. Fennessy