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Volume CXXXIII, Number 15 |
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The Queen Bitch of rock returns
KACY KARLEN
COLUMNIST
Looks like the life of our favorite rock femme is getting a little crusty around the edges. Between missing a recently scheduled court appearance for drug possession and breaking and entering charges, as well as misplacing daughter Frances Bean at the Grammys, one begins to wonder if an "early retirement" and commitment to a rehab clinic might not be a bad idea for Courtney Love.
Yet in a unabashed attempt to proverbially shove her boobs in our faces and show us that even middle-aged birds can still wail like banshees, cause goosebumps and pound away convincingly on guitars, she has emerged with her first solo album, ironically entitled America's Sweetheart. While it may not be another Live Through This, you gotta give the lady (I hesitate to use this term in association with Love) credit. America's Sweetheart is in-your-face and stylistically diverse, and Love still hasn't lost that compelling vocal tonality that seems to convince you that she has a vicious beast in her throat, screeching to get out.
The first single and opening track on the album, "Mono," is Love's equivalent of Eminem's "Without Me." While she screams that "They say rock is dead / And it's probably true," she deftly disproves her own clich‚ with the help of pulsating garage-punk guitar riffs and propelling percussion that enhances her growls, snarls, and delightfully angry screams. And in a moment that seems to be the closest Courtney will get to unabashed feminism, she yelps "I've got to rise above / I've got no penis to blame and also love." Grrrl power!
And actually, when she harasses you with the repetitive "did you miss me?" it's pretty compelling to answer "yeah, honey, we sure did." Especially since we can recognize on this album that pleasingly primal, raging apathy that seemed to be obscured by sickly sweetness on Hole's last album, Celebrity Skin.
The following track, entitled "But Julian, I'm A Little Bit Older Than You," in a poke at the Strokes' singer, is a very catchy, punkified squealfest, where Love again attests to her primacy in the punk rock scene, and in a rather intimidating vein, notes "I'm in your head / We won't be leaving soon."
"Is she schizophrenic?" you may ask. Possibly, but she is also rather threatening to garage rock newbies, uttering in a gravelly moan "I know where you live." The Hives and the Vines should watch out, I say-this addict has the benefits of age and experience, and probably a rather extensive collection of concealed weapons.
While Courtney explores the intricacies of sex, drugs, religion, and rock and roll identity with a razor-edged brutality, she still manages to slip in the requisite ballad and some pleasingly melodious pop-rocky tunes. "Hold On To Me" oscillates from tame strumming and surprisingly smooth singing to a harmonious hit-and-go with just enough edge to make it catchy and radio-ready. "Uncool" seems to be conceived along the same formulaic lines, as it progresses from softer, earnest lyrical delivery to more recognizable angsty pounding.
"Never Gonna Be The Same" is a surprisingly vulnerable grand finale, where this sweetie lays out the good and bad facets of her life experiences on the table, reminding us that "If you want a love / So unconditional and real / You've gotta ride that black horse baby / Through the depths of hell that I've been." This may be an ironic statement coming from a hedonistic multi-millionaire, but Courtney seems eager to attest to the fact that it hasn't all been sunshine, rainbows, and flowers. For some reason, I sense real honesty here, especially with the combination of a slower beat and sparkling guitar progressions.
While Courtney may not be America's old-fashioned golden girl, she still is one heck of a rocker chick. I'm beginning to believe that she gives Ozzy Osbourne a good run for his money. Now, if she can just stay out of jail long enough to come up with another good album....
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