THE DONNAS
Spend the Night
Atlantic
· In a nutshell: if the Pink Ladies made a record, this would be it.
· Spin was right on the money when they declared this quartet as the coolest band in the United States.
If there's one important quality lacking in rock these days, it's a playful and cocky-as-hell spirit. Is it hiding underneath the same rock as H.R.H. Joan Jett? These days, gettin' down seems to have been pushed aside for nervous, melodramatic rock. C'mon, I can roll my eyes any day. Gimme something I can listen to while sipping on a milkshake 'cause "she left me, wah wah wah" is too much of an emotional investment.
On the other perfectly manicured hand, the major label debut from California's pouty hell raisers, The Donnas, is purely indulgent fun. It's certainly far easier on the ears than the current modern rock abyss. They're barely into their 20s, but this quartet is already four albums old and have been able to blast out a great time with each release.
Spend the Night doesn't mess with tradition. There's still a slim ‘80s rock plot (hot girl dangles suitor on pinkie), but The Donnas are showing off much more confidence and cohesion. This could be a hit-making group (hey, if Kelly Osbourne can do it with someone else's hit...). Allison Robertson (Donna R.) is all over the fret board and, dare I say it, the band's songwriting has matured, too. Just listen to the salacious "Too Bad About Your Girl" and the super tight "Pass It Around," and you'll be hooked.
Will anyone be quoting KISS or AC/DC lyrics in an academic paper? No, and it's not likely that anyone will be quoting The Donnas either. But perhaps they have reinvented the wheel. The tables have turned and it's the boys who are being objectified with the same tongue-in-cheek zest as The Donnas' rock ‘n' roll predecessors. Never a dull moment, Spend the Night just may spend the month in your stereo.
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