Published on Jul 2, 2003
As I sit here refreshing myself to the tracks on the Sahara
Hotnights’
Jennie Bomb release, which I have inexplicably shelved for
the past nine months, I am finding myself perusing the thank you
notes on the inside jacket of the album. I can’t help but notice
that each band the Sahara Hotnights give props to has elements
within their own production that the Swedish quartet uses in
defining their own attitude, persona, and sound while in the
recording studio. Perhaps this is an obvious correlation but being
the liner note junkie that I am, I have come to expect bands of the
same feather to flock together. But then, I guess these bands
aren’t usually spoken in the same breath which is why I am so
intrigued.
The roll call includes a nod to the Donnas, with whom the Sahara
Hotnights share the same all-female band composition and throwback
rock sound; the Swedish group Randy, whose pop music sounds
translate into similar all-ages accessibility for this album, the
Hives and their spunky attitude, the Hellacopters and their
soulfulness, the Soundtrack of Our Lives and their even-keeled
lyrical resourcefulness, and Danko Jones for such an inspiring
hipness quotient. With the Sahara Hotnights drawing their sounds on
their sophomore release from such an eclectic array of artists,
Jennie Bomb obviously benefits with tracks that dish out
formula rather than ingredient.
The first track, “Alright, Alright (Here’s My Fist, Where’s the
Fight?)” is an aptly titled battle-cry that has vocalist Maria
Andersson goading her bandmates into forceful chants of “Alright!”,
“Alright!” at various peaks in the song. It’s catchy in a very
Runaways like way. Incidentally, the song has also been tracked on
various episodes of the testosterone charged televison show,
Jackass, as the song’s application has been more than fitting with
the scenes in which it has been paired.
“Keep up the Speed” does just that as it operates off a similar
attitudinal blueprint from the opening song. Accelerating tempo
building off a fuzzed out, stoner rock-like guitar intro by Jennie
Apslund (think Fu Manchu), the song is the one track that includes
the songwriting efforts of all members of the band. Otherwise
Andersson and drummer, Josephine Forsman are pegged with the
credits of the other ten songs on the album.
It’s when Andersson sings “On Top of Your World” that a Debbie
Harry like sultriness is exposed in her vocal delivery. And it’s
yet another quality providing the signature element that best
defines Jennie Bomb and captures the Sahara Hotnights at their
best. The remaining eight songs rely much more in changes of tempo
than than the over the top attitude of the first two tracks.
As a result,
Jennie Bomb is an album that sufficiently achieves crossover
appeal. Those that cherish accessible vocal melodies found in many
of today’s commercial releases will cheer this album as will the
gearheads that crave forceful hard rock edginess. For a band to
find this chemistry so early in their career inspires the notion
that the Sahara Hotnights will have the staying power to appeal to
many folks for a long time to come.
As female rock quartets go, the Donnas have recently received
the majority of the media attention and FM radio spins as of late.
While the merits of their success won’t be debated in this review,
the Sahara Hotnights are right on their heels and truthfully write
the better songs of the two bands. Undoubtedly, it’s because of the
direction in which they have chosen to direct their thank you’s and
the subsequent elements they have chosen to include as their own
that give this claim credence.