Music review: Brody Dalle – 鈥楧iploid Love鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 gonna burn this city down,鈥� snarls Brody Dalle on the opening track of her first solo release.
The stylishly aggressive 鈥淩at Race鈥� motors at full speed under the weight of grinding guitars and Dalle鈥檚 raspy, muscular vocals.
The former frontwoman for the Distillers and Spinnerette pulls no punches with a nine-song set of diversely engaging arrangements for 鈥淒iploid Love.鈥�
Dalle powers through the revealing material with touches of Debbie Harry, Joan Jett and Courtney Love as her inspiration.
Being a huge fan of Hole鈥檚 鈥淐elebrity Skin,鈥� it is understandable that I鈥檓 absolutely giddy about Dalle鈥檚 latest project.
鈥淯nderworld鈥� is fueled by a punk guitar riff that ultimately bleeds into a spirited mariachi band serenade, while 鈥淒on鈥檛 Mess with Me鈥� smolders with a sexy toughness mastered earlier by Jett on songs like 鈥淏ad Reputation鈥� and 鈥淚 Hate Myself for Loving You.鈥�
Just like Love on 鈥淐elebrity Skin,鈥� Dalle delicately polishes her punk edges to produce a more mature and dramatic sound.
While Dalle can still growl out a grunge number with the best of them, 鈥淒iploid Love鈥� also saves room for the Australian native鈥檚 softer side on the hauntingly eerie 鈥淚 Don鈥檛 Need Your Love鈥� and the soaring ballad 鈥淐arry On.鈥�
鈥淢eet the Foetus/Oh the Joy鈥� features Shirley Manson of Garbage and Emily Kokal of Warpaint joining Dalle on an unconventional ode to motherhood.
Married to Queen of the Stone Age鈥檚 Josh Homme, Dalle recorded the new
album at her husband鈥檚 studio.
Dalle wrote all the new songs and co-produced the album with Alain Johannes.
On offerings ranging from 鈥淏lood in
Gutters鈥� to 鈥淒ressed in Dreams,鈥� Dalle proves it鈥檚 still cool (and entertaining) to be both tough and sensitive.