How It Should Be

Hopefully you’ve already bought The Woods, Sleater-Kinney’s excellent effort of 2005. If not, or if you own a single Nickelback album, then go buy this record now and listen to it until you realize exactly why Sleater-Kinney is such an excellent rock band.The band sounds extremely well oiled, and it isn’t due to big studio tricks. These ladies aren’t mired in the same complacency as many of their “alternative” counterparts, and this willingness to take risks clearly didn’t have a negative effect on the cohesiveness of the band. Lead singer Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss have come a long way since their early days in the Pacific Northwest.

The Woods is not an album on which all the tracks run together in one monotonous streak. Its opening track, “The Fox,” begins with harsh feedback and gritty, pounding guitars before Tucker’s banshee-esque vocals kick in. Then there are tracks like “Modern Girl,” which begins with a more mellow sound of overlapped guitars and harmonica.

ame The lyrics on the album are excellent. On “What’s Mine is Yours” Tucker sings “Sit down, honey, let’s kill some time/Rest you head on this heart of mine/Come on darling, let’s hang around/Let’s wreck their precious, their perfect town.” But it’s the delivery that even further injects her words with fervor.

Sleater-Kinney even end the album on a strong note, with the excellent “Night Light.” Catchy melodies don’t have to be sacrificed for the sake of creativity, or vice versa. These ladies prove this on The Woods. From the very beginning Sleater-Kinney draw a line over which only brave or curious listeners will cross. So be a brave and curious listener.