Taken By: Crystal Morris

After a few “practice” gigs in LA, the UK and an EP release,  Spinnerette’s album finally hit stores on Tues. June 23rd in the US on Canadian indie label Anthem Records. The new CD is the first long-awaited full-length album that we’ve heard from frontwoman Brody Dalle in about 6 years. You can see it on the “new release” shelves at HMV in Canada and the UK, and hopefully at Best Buy stores in the US. I say hopefully, because prior to Spinnerette’s first performance after the CD release at the Troubadour, it was difficult enough to find the CD in Best Buy stores surrounding LA and the Inland. Prior to playing at the Troubadour, Spinnerette played a few gigs in Ontario, including Call the Office in London and a nearly Sold Out gig at the Mod Club for NXNE.

The crowd at the Troubadour was an odd array of age ranges . I assume that it was possibly  due to Har Mar Superstar opening, whom Tony Bevilacqua, guitarist for Spinnerette, has played with for several years. At the past few Spinnerette shows I’ve seen people I haven’t in five years; it was surprising to me to have seen them at all in some cases. Lime green mohawks have been reduced to slightly tamer brown ones, homemade zebra print purses replaced by LAMB bags and I saw old Distillers fans who were visiting, and in some cases migrating to LA from UK, Canada and even Alaska.  Everyone is grown up, five years older, slightly wiser, but are still some of the baddest motherfuckers that I know. If you walk through the room of Spinnerette fans it encapsulate the feel on the album. Spinnerette is refined but will still kick you in the face. The album is mature but still has that same underlying feeling of Dalle’s killer song writing and lyricism.

Spinnerette isn’t that much of a massive departure from The Distillers, but more of a  natural progression. On songs like  “All Babes are Wolves”, “A Spectral Suspension” and “A Prescription for Mankind” it’s hard to decide what’s more explosive, the arena riffs or Dalle’s signature razor-like vocals. This shit rocks hard like the best out of the 90s, with an old psychedelic soul in the vein of The Pixies, Roky Erickson and The Coral. You’ll hear the remnants of Dalle’s signature punk 4 chord melodies in “Bury My Heart”  and “Cupid”, coupled with a haunting resonance.

The album is audibly interesting and you’re going to be surprised by a lot of the songs. Crowd favorite and one of the catchiest tracks is “Sex Bomb”, it’s pure sweet pop beats over filthy rough vocals. The song has been released three times, my favourite being the Adam Freeland remix. Each release is different and they are all worth a listen. “Geeking” and “Rebellious Palpitations” reveal a new, fun and playful side.

“Impaler” is the perfect song for a Canadian audience, it’s awesome juxtaposition of spectre-like melodies and roots acoustic folk courtesy of  producer Alain Johannes. If you’re sick of Puddle of NickleCreed, crave pop music that’ll get you fuck you up worse than Lady Gaga or miss what music was, you‘ll probably think that Spinnerette is a saving grace.