Penny and The Pits is a brand new project from Penelope Stevens—best known as one-third of Canadian art-rock band Motherhood. While I’ll admit I hadn’t heard of Motherhood before diving into this record, a quick search revealed that Penelope played bass, keys, and vocals in the band. But this time around, she’s fully at the helm. In Penny and The Pits, she steps into the spotlight not just as the frontwoman, but as the writer, producer, main vocalist, and even the designer behind the album’s artwork and layout. This is her vision—loud, raw, feminist, and fiercely creative.
Liquid Compactor is the debut album, and it’s an absolute statement piece. Not content with just putting together a collection of songs, Penny has gone full concept—crafting a wild and empowering narrative around a girl gang who discover a sentient underwater artifact known as The Liquid Compactor… which they then use to exact revenge.
“It’s a story about female friendships, feminist rage, grief, adventure, and—most importantly—about giving bad men a taste of their own medicine,” Penny explained on social media.
One of the songs that really embodies this theme—and happens to be one of my personal favourites—is ‘Pool Party’ a surf-rock banger dripping with attitude, it tells the tale of that vengeful gang. The line:
“WE’VE GOT A LIQUID COMPACTOR, WE SHAVE OUR HEADS LIKE SINÉAD, WE’RE CREWING UP IN THE DEEP END, BUT IT DEPENDS ON THE PARTICULAR DAY“
…says it all, really. It’s fiery, fun, and gloriously unhinged in the best way.
Another stand-out is ‘Sweat’, a punky, Be Your Own Pet-style anthem that bursts with sass and rage. It hits like a hammer and leaves you wanting more. Then there’s ‘Headcrusher’, which opens like a sweet fairground ride before swerving into another noisy punk ripper. It’s a track about the inner conflict of blaming yourself for other people’s bad behaviour—something I think a lot of us can relate to, especially as women and femmes.
‘Montenegro on Ice’ explores the emotional paralysis of being stuck in past pain. “I was feeling the temptation to stew in past hurt,” says Penny. “It’s so easy to stick your fingers in your own wounds.” Lyrically, the album walks a razor’s edge between vulnerability and fury—between grief and defiance.
Not every track is a high-speed chase through feminist rage though. ‘Self Defence’ slows the pace just a little, with a gritty guitar riff anchoring its simmering mood. It’s introspective, but still packs the same punch as the rest of the record.
What I love most about Liquid Compactor is that it’s not just an album- it’s cinematic, cathartic, and unapologetically angry in all the right ways. Penny has delivered a sharp, smart, and deeply satisfying debut that makes me want to scream into the sea, and dance around in combat boots with my best friends.
If you’re into femme-led punk with brains and feminist bite—get this album in your ears immediately.
‘Liquid Compactor’ is out now and you can get it here
Penny and The Pits Socials: Instagram
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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