Brijitte West and the Greenowskis - Brijitte West and the Greenowskis (Rum Bar Records)
The Big Apple, in the mid 90's. Four New York City bands — not one, but four — released landmark albums, They were records that seemed destined to propel their respective bands straight over the precipice and into the big time.
Road Vultures were legitimate Thunders swagger and endorsed by Sylvain and Jerry Nolan of The Dolls. Pillbox were equal parts punk, glam and trashy street rock with big hooks, attitude to burn and an originality that saw them burn out way too soon
D-Generation has Jesse Malin out front who was considered by many to be the definitive post punk NYC gutter-glam outfit, with sneering attitude, sharp guitars, huge choruses and the kind of decadence that was all too common 15 years prior…
And then there was NY Loose, whose 1996 album, “Year of the Rat”, was nothing short of compelling and deserved far more attention than it ever received.
And at the centre of it NY Loose was Brijitte West, a major talent as frontwoman, songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. Rock 'n' roll personified in fact. With a major label deal and tours with Marilyn Manson, the future looked promising. Yet history had other plans. The kids wanted Green Day and The Offspring, and NY Loose blazed brightly before disappearing almost as quickly as they emerged.
Fast forward 20 years, and West released “From NY With Love” under the Brijitte West & The Desperate Hopefuls moniker. This was THE album those who loved NY Loose were waiting for. Wall-to-wall hooks and unforgettable tunes.
Ten years later, West has returned with “Brijitte West & The Greenowskis”, the record she's been threatening to make for years. Not because the songs weren't there, but because the band wasn't. Previous albums hinted at this sound, yet here she finally has the players to drag those ideas into the light.
With the Greenowskis, West has delivered a 14-track blast of punk attitude, melodic rock ’n’ roll, killer hooks and swagger from start to finish. The Greenowskis aren’t just a backing band. Lester Greenowski’s hook‑sharp songwriting gets the muscle, swagger and unruly edge she needed — and paired with her apt lyrics and Wilko’s appealing, melodically infectious guitar tone, it becomes her most confident, full‑blooded record yet.
The album manages to sound both familiar and fresh. There are plenty of nods to West’s New York past, but this isn't an album that spends its time staring into the rear-view mirror.
The Greenowskis mainman is Lester Greenowski, who in other incarnations has recorded albums with Honest John Plain, Kevin K, The Crybabys and more..... the right kinda stuff. Lester penned most of the music on this album. He understands melody and hooks. The Greenowskis are legit.
From the opening seconds of “Doin’ Alright”, you know you're onto something good. A tough guitar riff, punchy rhythm section and West's instantly recognisable vocal delivery kick the door in, and the song settles into one of those choruses that gets lodged in your head whether you like it or not. And I like it. A lot.
There's a certain timeless quality to this stuff. The guitars have bite, the songs have hooks and, importantly, there's plenty of space for West's personality to shine through.
“My Lower East Side” is another standout. This is where the past really comes alive — not as some romanticised version of New York, but as a grubby, competitive, exciting place where bands fought for gigs, rehearsal space or a patch of wall to slap their posters onto. Musically, it’s a ripper, and you can almost smell the beer and stale cigarette smoke.
Then there's “Sorry For Being A Stranger” which shows another side of the album. West isn't afraid to ease back on the attitude and let the emotional content of the song carry the weight. It's a reminder that behind all that punk-rock swagger there's a songwriter who's lived enough life to have something worthwhile to say.
And that's probably one of the things I like most about this album. It isn't all guitars and attitude. There’s vulnerability here too. Thematically, this one’s about falling out with a friend. It’s super catchy and has hit written all over it.
“Shoot Shoot Shoot” is another blast of full-tilt punk, packed with razor-sharp riffs and enough hooks to get lodged in your skull for days. This one takes aim at that bizarre moment when the Chinese floated a high-altitude balloon right across North America, turning the news cycle into pure late-stage absurdity. Fast, loud, and it hits straight between the eyes.
One great tune flows into the next. Divorce ain't pretty, and neither is the next tune, “Default”. It's a cathartic melodic punk anthem drenched in minor chords and hard-earned acceptance. At its heart is the realisation that the other person just ain't gonna change, no matter how many chances they get. Big hooks, soaring choruses, and killer guitars do the heavy lifting, turning heartbreak and frustration into something uplifting. Equal parts gut-punch and singalong, it's the sound of letting go and moving on at full volume. And man that lead guitar……. Another green tick.
"Don't Hurt Yourself" tackles the confronting subject of self-harm, with West handling the topic with a steady hand rather than lapsing into melodrama. The tune rolls along on a mid-tempo groove, with tasteful guitar solos layered over the top, adding just the right amount of weight and emotion.
If there's any concern that the years might have dulled West’s voice, forget it. Just like on the rest of the album, she sounds fantastic here. Strong, confident, she's lost absolutely nothing and still sounds amazing. If anything, playing with a killer band like the Greenowskis has lit a fire under her. Her voice sounds better than ever, and she attacks these songs with real conviction. She's always been a great singer, but on this record she's definitely upped her game.
The high-energy, frantic "Brutta Bimba Bella" provides one of the album's more interesting left turns, with Lester Greenowski stepping up to take over lead vocals. The change in voice gives the track its own identity, while the band's trademark mix of punchy melodies, driving rhythms, and infectious hooks keeps the momentum firmly in the red.
And then there's “All This And More’” the Dead Boys song. Cover versions can be dangerous territory. Too often a band simply reproduces the original and calls it a day. Thankfully, that's not what's happening here. The song fits comfortably into West's musical world and the band attacks it with enough energy to make it worthwhile.
Absolutely dig "Looking At You", another slice of killer mid-tempo punk, packed with big hooks and earworms for days. With its infectious chorus and sharp guitar work, it's yet another reminder that this band knows exactly how to write a catchy punker without sacrificing any of its punch.
The closing stretch is particularly interesting. "Nobody Won" looks back at the final chapter of NY Loose, and there's a sense of emotional baggage being dragged into the light and finally dealt with. And then, almost unexpectedly, the album finishes with "Luckiest Girl (Unplugged)", a stripped-back revisit of the NY Loose tune. It's a cool way to close the record, leaving the listener with something more intimate.
The Greenowskis deserve plenty of credit throughout. Wilko Zanni, Lorenzo Vacondio, Lester Greenowski and Davide Furlani provide a super solid, hard-hitting foundation, with the guitars taking centre stage throughout.
The guitars. Man, the guitars make the whole frickin’ album! And it’s no surprise, as the guitar player is Italy’s iconic Wilko Zanni. This guy has been at it since he was a teen, and with more than 40 years with Rats, he is rightfully revered. His guitar tone and sense of melody is integral to this album.
The band balances gritty punk intensity with memorable hooks, creating a sound that's exciting and unpredictable without sacrificing musical depth. And that balance is important. NY Loose never made a sequel to “Year of the Rat”. In my opinion, Brijitte West and The Greenowskis feels like the album that should've come next. It's got the same swagger, the same grit, the same knack for wrapping big hooks around real-life scars. For anyone who's spent years wondering what another “Year of the Rat” might've sounded like, this record comes pretty damn close.
West sounds energised, the songs are strong, the guitars have plenty of crunch and there's enough variety here to keep the whole thing interesting from beginning to end. Most importantly, she sounds like someone who genuinely still wants to be doing this — not someone reluctantly revisiting a former life.
For anyone with an affection for NYC punk, garage rock, powerpop and straight-up rock ’n’ roll, this is well worth chasing down. This will be hard to beat for my album of 2026. - Colin Gray
Out November 13 on Rum Bar Records. 
