Local H

Taxi-Cabs

A year's worth of breakup songs fill Local H's Twelve Angry Months: January's entry bristles with fresh hurt, when the only way to deal is by dividing up friends and demanding the return of borrowed records; December's is still wounded but somewhat hopeful, looking forward to the day when things make sense. In between, Scott Lucas chips away at his ex's self-esteem, lashes out at her new man and considers crawling into the muck once more. Halfway through the year, June's "Taxi-Cabs" is torn between running with a new crowd and running back to a tired old scene. Forget love, marriage and a baby carriage; first comes fear of untouchable blond goddesses, then comes fear of aggressive brunette nymphomaniacs, then comes fear of being alone. Drummer Brian St. Clair matches Lucas' anxious riff with an anxious beat, dropping out and diving in again. When the strings finally kick in, the tension is fucking high. It's all over but the screaming — Lucas chants "With fins on fire" with increasing agitation — before the bar din bleeds into July. Nothing changes but the calendar.

You won't find "Taxi-Cabs" at myspace.com/localh, but "24 Hour Break-up Session," July's heaping of grunge pop and self-loathing, passes the time.