There must be something in the water in San Diego. If someone was to do a family tree of groups hailing from California’s second largest city, it would resemble something of a circle. Swapping bands like trading cards, San Diego’s scene is both fertile and diverse. Some Girls—combining the talents of some of hardcore’s most talented players, from some of the genre’s most respected bands (i.e. the Locust, the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower)—sounds fantastic on paper, but is disappointingly ordinary.

Some Girls last release, All My Friends Are Going Death, collected their initial seven-inch releases and demo tracks. Mixing hardcore fury with a distinctly ‘80s feel, the collection was good, but not as great as one would of hoped the pedigree of talent would have delivered. However, I approached The DNA Will Have Its Say with a sense of optimism. Both the Locust and the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower have released some of the most exciting underground records this year. Safety Second, Body Last found the Locust taking broad, exciting steps in new directions. While not an out and out triumph, it showed that the band was willing to leave its familiar surroundings behind. Meanwhile, Love in the Fascist Brothel found the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower putting an energetic new spin on a tired genre.

Yet, despite the other efforts this year, The DNA Will Have Its Say is disappointingly pedestrian. The EP gets off to a furious start with the blistering “I Need Drugs” and “A Sick Cult”. The former explodes with a tremendous breakdown, while the latter is an inspired burst of grind-core fury. But from there the EP quickly decelerates into dull repetition. Blast beats? Check. Technically proficient grind guitar? Check. Indecipherable and nonsensical vocals? Check. Odd song titles? Check. Oh yeah, Karen O sings backup on the title track, but only the most diehard of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans will really care. None of the genre pushing inventiveness from the members’ other bands is to be found here. It is a competently played, finely produced slab of hardcore, but unless you’re new to the scene, Some Girls leave a lot to be desired.

Now with a freshly inked deal to Epitaph and a new album in the works, one can only hope that the members of Some Girls will be willing to push themselves rather than ride the coattails of their respective bands. With seven songs lasting about six minutes long, The DNA Will Have Its Say is for the dedicated only. Anyone else would do well to wait for the full length and see if this band will finally live up to expectations.