Hit Bargain make punk music without the macho bullshit, channeling that aggression into forceful, confrontational explorations of gender and power dynamics. The LA quartet, made up of members of the Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Cold Beat, These Are Powers, and Beach Fossils, are following up their self-titled 2016 EP with a proper full-length debut called Potential Maximizer, and lead single “Capitulate” is a timely, visceral examination of consent that sounds as urgent as it feels. “This is a song about the ambiguities of consent,” frontwoman Nora Singh explains. “I wrote it in response to the real experiences of a friend navigating sex, relationships, and their own emerging queerness in LA. It predates any hashtag or recent public scandal, but it is a part of the same conversation. What I wish for everyone is to find an intersection of pleasure, bodily integrity, and respect — without abuse or shame.” Listen.

Potential Maximizer is out 5/11 via Buzz Records. Pre-order it here.