Spinnerette - Spinnerette Review
Posted by Vanessa Willoughby on 07.19.2009
You probably know Brody Dalle from The Distillers. Naturally, with this in mind, it should probably trigger high expectations for her the release of Spinnerette's self-titled debut. But are these expectations fulfilled?
TRACK LISTING:
1. Ghetto Love
2. All Babes Are Wolves
3. Cupid
4. Geeking
5. Baptized By Fire
6. A Spectral Suspension
7. Distorting A Code
8. Sex Bomb
9. Driving Song
10. Rebellious Palpitations
11. The Walking Dead
12. Impaler
13. A Prescription For Mankind
Music fans will probably recognize Brody Dalle as the enigmatic singer and guitarist from The Distillers. Naturally, her magnetism and talent are easily, if not more so, carried over into her newest effort, Spinnerette. Without a doubt, there’s something about Spinnerette that demands your full attention. Maybe it’s the confidence and devil-may-care, gritty snarl that pulses through Brody Dalle’s voice on the very first track.
Or perhaps it’s the impeccable musicianship of members Alain Johannes (guitar, bass), Tony Bevilacqua (guitar), and Jack Irons (drums). Whatever the reason, Spinnerette’s self-titled debut album is a promising effort that embodies all of the passion and attitude of punk rock and the infectious appeal of pop.
The opening song, “Ghetto Love,” could be just as much of an anthem for female-rebellion and empowerment as a track taken from an album by The Runaways. Dalle’s voice steamrolls over the unforgiving guitar chords and the thumping of the bass and the drums. It’s the sort of song that requires more than one listen; the rhythm that’s initially established by the drums and bass leave a deep mark on any listener’s consciousness, creating a sort of mental echo that can only be relieved through multiple replays. For a band that is relatively young, there’s nothing amateur or forced about this album, as evident even with this first song.
“Ghetto Love” segue ways into the equally enthusiastic “All Babes Are Wolves.” The beginning of the track is somewhat deceptive, as beats take on an almost electronic-techno feel. However, any sort of implication is quickly nipped in the bud. Once again, Dalle gets to further showoff her vocal prowess, in addition to the obvious skill and talent of Johannes, Bevilacqua, and Irons.
If “Ghetto Love” was an example of the freight-train intensity and determination of Spinnerette’s brand of pop with a twist, then “All Babes Are Wolves” is a full-fledged foray into a signature breed of modern alternative rock. Her tone inflected with more restless anger than sentimental affection, Dalle sings:
“Oh baby,
I will never stray
Oh baby,
I would die for you
Oh baby,
I will never leave.”
Clocking in at just under 2:30, the track feels as though it were much shorter.
The third track, “Cupid,” is slower in terms of rhythm but not in the sense of emotional charge. Dalle’s voice starts off as a sinister rumble, ditching the menacing lower octaves for the throat-tingling wailing for the bridge and chorus. The low grumble of the bass, layered beneath the staccato of the drums and the showmanship of the guitar provides a perfect foundation for Dalle’s vocals. Cupid is painted as a “faithful solider,” rather than the rosy-cheeked cherub with a shining bow and arrow.
In fact, nothing about the lyrics or the musical connotations provides an atmosphere of innocent euphoria. Much like “All Babes Are Wolves,” both the intricacies of the music and the allure of Dalle’s voice draw the listener in like a carefully-constructed spider web. You don’t realize how drawn into the music you are until it suddenly stops.
The following track, “Geeking,” employs quick jabs of tongue-in-cheek language. In the opening verse, Dalle sings:
“Here we are in the middle of it
A sinking ship
Going down together
Going down on each other.”
Maybe for some other singer, this line would’ve been a bit too Alanis Morissette 2.0, but somehow the lyrics and the music itself mesh with Dalle’s voice. Like other female-fronted bands such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Kills and even Hole, both the musical sound of the band and the tonal quality and vocal style of the lead singer are co-dependent elements. Without Dalle, the lyrics would create an entirely different impact with another singer. Similarly, without Irons, Johannes, and Bevilacqua, Dalle’s vocals might not carry the same immediate response.
The fifth track and their latest single, “Baptized by Fire,” is a slight deviation from the full-throttle ferocity of the previous songs. Verses are structured to build a tension that is chosen to be resolved through choruses powered not by dominant guitar chords, but through an electronic-based melody. Regardless, this decision does not negatively impact the quality of the song or make it seem out-of-place on the overall album.
If “Baptized by Fire” can be classified as a break from the usual form, then “A Spectral Suspension” is a return to the standard. The song kicks off with the pounding of the drums, the gravelly thump of the bass, then the guitar and finally, Dalle. With lyrics that tackle jealousy and suspicion, Dalle sings:
“Where do you go
When you leave this place
I’ve made my bed
To have to have to lie
In it.”
Again, mirroring “Baptized by Fire,” the choruses are purposefully drawn out; creating a mounting tension that is only relieved through the verses. Just like the twelve other tracks on their debut album, “A Spectral Suspension” is a head-spinning reflection of the band’s ability to tackle common subjects with an unexpected and distinctive flair.
Although the beginning of the seventh track, “Distorting A Code,” oddly imitates the keyboard chords of a church piano, the song is anything but a holy hymn. Like a modern-day Odysseus, Dalle’s lyrics convey someone who is terribly lost, someone struggling to find both a sense of inner peace and a way to return home:
“I don’t need the answers
When I got no place to go
All I need is a riddle
And some visionary hope
How do I find my way
Back home?”
The scratching of the record player and the giddy, high-pitched squeals are enough to let the listener know that the eighth track, “Sex Bomb,” is not a Tom Jones cover. Rather, this aptly-titled song is more so the child of Joan Jett than the smooth vocal intonations of Carlton Banks’ idol supreme. The desperation of lust is closely laced with Dalle’s rough vocals and the heavy accompaniment of the band. The woozy shrieks are subtly added into the background of the chorus, fitting snugly beneath Dalle’s demands “to be my daddy.” Yet despite the waves of indestructible strength that Dalle’s voice conveys, it also contains a noticeable amount of vulnerability.
“The Walking Dead” possesses an opening that is reminiscent of Interpol, as the distorted guitar ripples in the background, faint and muted like a scream underwater. In accordance to the other tracks, this title was not a haphazard, meaningless decision. The connotations of the creative, sometimes literary-sounding titles all flourish within the song itself.
The final song, “A Prescription For Mankind,” features probably the heaviest, darkest bass arrangement of the entire album. The additional support of a truly searing guitar adds to the weight of the track, citing the obvious influence of the band members’ past gigs with Queens of the Stone Age and Pearl Jam. As usual, Dalle’s vocals are nothing less than mesmerizing. Clocking in at 8:10, “A Prescription For Mankind” is not a weak or defeated swan song, but the reluctant ending of an epic battle-cry, the victory of resistance.
The 411: With snarling hooks, throbbing bass lines and ear-slamming guitar chords, Spinnerette's debut proves to be much more of a bang than a whimper.
