With its intelligent, nouveau-feminist lyrics and timely riffery, Elizabeth Elmore's mid-'90s Champaign, OH, outfit Sarge seemed ever on the verge of breaking through, but could never quite reach the success its critical raves would suggest. Elmore dissolved the band in 1999 to study litigation at Northwestern Law, but two years later the rock bug bit again and she recruited guitarist Shawn Hewitt, bassist Joel Root, and a parade of drummers to form the Reputation.
The Reputation never veered far from the formula of her former band, aside from perhaps slightly softer edges. ...