Mo Dettes' founder Kate Korus was a one-time member of the Raincoats and the Slits, so it makes sense that the Mo Dettes' sound falls in between those two groups. Korus' Swiss-accented vocals establish a (tenuous) connection with Kleenex, the remaining third of the era's all-female post-punk trinity. The Mo Dettes' angular post-punk doesn't teeter on the verge of chaos like the early Raincoats, though; it is tempered with a melodic flair that anticipates the C-86 style of bands such as Cath Carroll's Miaow, while not indulging the Slits reggae fusion, though the spirit of dub might have informed Jane Crockford's nimble bass playing and June Miles-Kingston's busy drumming style. The Story So Far, the group's only album, contains a remake of their debut single, "White Mouse," retitled "White Mouse Disco"; covers of the Rolling Stones ("Paint It Black") and Edith Piaf ("Milord"), and mildly divergent cuts such as the jazzy "Kray Twins." Echoes of the Mo Dettes and their post-punk sisters can be heard in new groups such as the Vivian Girls and Liechtenstein. ~ Greg Adams
