We Will Rock You

Have you been wondering lately if there are any albums out there that truly rock? And I don't mean "rock" in any of the current, conventional senses. Not in the 'wink-wink nudge-nudge,' ironic sense, where you and the band both know that neither of you are taking this whole 'rock' business too seriously. Not that kind of rock that simply absorbs what you dug about classic rock and regurgitates it without any of the risk that made the original music so inviting. And, in the name of all that is holy, certainly not in the sense of yet another pop-punk band who refuse to deviate from the blueprint Green Day* established in the '90s.

If you've been on the look out for an album that rocks--loudly, unabashedly, and without a trace of irony--than the women of Sleater-Kinney would like a word with you.

Now, I'll throw out the caveat that I've been a big fan of the band's since I bought an album of their's for the first time in 1997. Their 2000 album, All Hands on the Bad One, ranked #1 on my top ten list for that year. But their latest, The Woods, is such a tremendous pay-off to the evolutionary process they've been working towards as a band that it threatens to forever eclipse the rest of their catalog.

And while MLW has long since grown tired of my constant praise of their work ("Is that woman still singing?"), many beach ghost readers will probably find a post on this topic below their pain threshold.

The Woods distinguishes itself from the rest of the Sleater-Kinney catalog in the first second of its running time, as "The Fox" opens with a blast of feedback that announces the heaviest song they've ever done. But the real laying down of the musical gauntlet occurs a couple songs later, in the middle of "What's Mine is Yours." The song disguises itself as a blues stomp for about half its running time and then Carrie Brownstein rips into a solo that is soon given the full Hendrix treatment--phasing, distortion, even segments played backwards. That someone would even attempt such an obvious homage is pretty gutsy. It doesn't hurt that she also manages to pull it off.

But Ms. Brownstein's isn't alone in achieving new heights in her musical prowess, as her bandmates have also risen to the occasion. Janet Weiss pummels the drums with such force she sounds like Bonham resurrected and Corin Tucker shrieks out a number of lyrical lines with the intensity of Plant.

It is also one of the loudest albums I've heard in recent memory (outside of metal, perhaps). I'm talking you-can't-listen-to-it-at-full-volume-on-your-headphones loud. I'm talking your-ears-will-actually-hurt-after-playing-it loud. But when a song like "Rollercoaster" kicks into full gear, you'll want to hear it loud.

Now, I'd be remiss for not mentioning that detractors will find aspects of this album that they will not care for. For one thing, there's the intentional distortion which permeates the album and, if you aren't expecting it, will have you checking your speakers. This is true even on 'softer' songs like "Modern Girl." And those who don't care for singing with a heavy dosage of vibrato will not at all be enamoured of Ms. Tucker (the quote from MLW was directed at her).

So--if you want an album that hearkens back to the days where bands created "classic rock," without a whiff of nostalgia, then you should investigate The Woods immediately.

For a wee sample of just what I'm talking about, take a look at their latest video.

* - Yes, the referenece to Green Day is intentional. Pop-punk has, IMHO, about as much in common with actual punk than ambient has with Scandanavian death metal.