The Donnas
(Atlantic Records)
If the Ramones had younger sisters, they would be The Donnas. The foursome has the same rock intensity and punk attitude of their predecessors as they mix powerful riffs and beats with biting lyrics. The Donnas have been playing music together for nine years, starting out when they were just 14-years-ld. The band's discography reads like a coming of age story from 1998's , to 2001's , and their most recent . Through it all, the ladies have never lost their sense of rock 'n' roll fun, and further proves that The Donnas know how to party.
As The Donnas first release on Atlantic Records rips into Donna R.'s (Allison Robertson) heavy guitar style, the listener knows they're in for nonstop rock. Power chords, driving beats and cowbell keep the steady punk pace throughout the 13 tracks, but it's the sharp vocals and astute lyrics of Donna A. (Brett Anderson) that set The Donnas apart.
Lyrics like, \Yeah, it's time to have some real fun/ So, I'm callin' all my ladies/ We're gonna key your Mercedes,"" and ""I apologize for all the noise/ I just had to tell all the boys/ That you'd rather have a Mai Tai/ Than a tall glass of Bud Dry,"" add a knockout punch to The Donnas repertoire. In addition to the foundation of chord progressions and vocals, the foursome often show off their talent and vary the tracks on with some bass/beat breakdowns and classic rockish guitar solos.
The Donnas formula adds up to rowdy party music with a serious punk edge. So, if you're looking for a good time and some hot rock, make sure you with The Donnas.
The Wallflowers
(Interscope)
You can bring up front man Jakob Dylan's famous father, but the Wallflowers better represent the dying generation of middle of the road rock bands that emerged in the wake of grunge. Already past their top-heavy success and bevy of personnel changes, the picture of the Wallflowers painted by their latest release, , is that of a band that should have thrown in the towel a while ago.
The overriding characteristic of the album is that of an unfulfilled quest for musical identity. Several tracks, like ""When You're On Top"" and ""Three Ways,"" uncomfortably dabble in electronic sounds that don't mesh well with the band's roots-rock style. Other songs, like ""If You Never Got Sick"" and ""Everything I Need,"" sound a little like the better Wallflowers sound, but at the same time, more closely resemble what the Wallflowers do at their worst: sound like a cheap knockoff of Tom Petty. In this identity crisis that sees the band fumbling through uncomfortable sounds, what fails to emerge is memorable songs. ""Closer to You"" is a pretty song, but nothing else stands out at all.
All of this poses a problem for the Wallflowers more than a lot of other bands, because the Wallflowers were only worthwhile when they were clicking on every level. Past hits like ""6th Avenue Heartache"" offered the right blend of blues-derived guitar and earthy melodies that wouldn't crumble in the hands of Dylan. Without just the right melody, Dylan and the guitar players were just uninspired drones in a competent but bland group. This does not even mention Dylan's lyrics, which, under close scrutiny, never meant a damn thing even in his best songs.
Unfortunately, this uninspired lack of melodic oases plagues the band throughout . What's left is generic music that leaves no impression on the listener whatsoever, like a collection of songs on the soundtrack of a Sandra Bullock movie. A band that has found success in the past with a well-defined style cannot put out an album this inconsistent in sound and so thoroughly unarousing. This should mark the merciful end of the Wallflowers.
