What A Girl Needs

Everyone loves a woman who’s been around the block. The things Melissa Auf Der Maur has picked up on the rock block suit her well. She’s played with enough bands (including Hole and Smashing Pumpkins) to learn a thing or two. Throughout her first solo disc, Auf Der Maur, one fact is evident – Melissa is in charge. Her voice ranges not just in notes but also attitude, easily morphing from throaty ass kicker to girlish temptress. With few exceptions, each track supports her vocals with a solid wall of sound, and even the more mellow tunes work for her.Auf Der Maur manages to convey sadness without whining – she is plaintive without becoming sappy. Traces of Linda Perry and that dog songstress Anna Waronker flow through her voice, though the exact notes are difficult to pinpoint. Plenty of Auf Der Maur’s talented pals showed up to take instructions from her. Queens of the Stone Age dreamboats Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri play on the disc, and Blinker the Star’s Jordan Zadorozny produced. Even James Iha showed up to take part in the fun.

Most refreshing on this disc is Auf Der Maur’s control of her own sexuality. Unlike younger pop stars, she does not flaunt herself as an object of sexual desire while simultaneously running away from such a tawdry idea. Instead, Auf Der Maur directly addresses her own desires. In “Taste You” she repeats the refrain “My appetite/In that hole/tempt you with it now/I will taste you.” This isn’t the kind of sentiment you hear from most of today’s garden variety pop starlets.