Kim McClay - Worth It EP (2026) Hi-Res

This 5-song EP isn’t going to display instrumental skill as much as alt-pop aggressive playing. It has the essence of prior female rock outfits like The Go-Go’s, Wilson-Phillips, Heart & let me take a chance & dig up the late ‘60s all-female rock band called Fanny. It’s that incendiary. Yes, it’s good. The opening tune, “Velveteen Girls,” has nicely applied effects, but it’s Kim’s vocals that are ear-tugging. Unfortunately, it’s over before you know it. The whole conglomeration is a finely tuned alt-pop sound that blends what makes some indie artists interesting (sometimes).

New York City-based Kim McClay (acoustic guitar/vocals) has just enough feminine rage, broken heart vulnerability, the risk of romantic entanglements, sentimentality, & desperate messages of hope in her pipes & songs to make this work. It isn’t too gritty (she isn’t Janis Joplin or Candy Givens of Zephyr), but her rock is threaded through with arrangements that lift each basic song with vibrancy. To my elder ears, I even hear the melancholy & angst of The Shangri-Las (“Dressed In Black,” “You Can Never Go Home Anymore”), but Kim’s music is far more stinging & inventive.

The title track is the most accessible. It’s recorded well on the 5-track Worth It (Dropped June 26/Rugby Road Records/20:28) with its power chords & strumming. Don’t expect fiery Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck guitar licks, but that’s not always necessary, is it? The set was produced with clarity in Brooklyn by Dustin Beardsley (electric guitar) & has many invigorating, entertaining & well-tailored moments. Kim’s value added comes on the slower songs that prove she can be a fine balladeer & has a brightly colored voice. “So Close” would be even better with a bluseier approach. It would have captured the tune a little more dramatically. As a pop song, it’s fine. Typical of many girl groups of the ‘60s, Kim has managed to refine & add some high test to the proceedings. The angst, tonality & steady pop capture the supple lyrical ingredients in the words.