Sahara Hotnights
Jennie Bomb
(Jetset Records)
If I believed everything that I read, then it would appear that the next saviors of rock and roll would arrive each successive week. With the resurgence of bands like The Strokes and the White Stripes (among others), it seems that everyone is their brother is concerned with 'saving rock' as if it had somehow passed away or gone stale in the course of the past 10 or 15 years. Say what you want, but I've never found a lack of the stuff myself.
Sahara Hotnights is one of the newest bands on the rock scene and they've got several things going for them that could propel them past the glut of numerous other bands churning out material in the same loose genre. For starters, they hail from Sweden, and with imports like the aforementioned Vines and Hives grabbing some action, that's sure to help them out a bit. Second, the group is comprised of four, young and rather stylish and sexy young ladies. If there's one thing that the young fellows enjoy, it's the rock music, and if it's girls doing the rocking, then it's all the better.
Although I'm tempted to call the band by the name 'Sahara Hotpants,' I'll restrain myself from here out and simply say that they clock in somewhere between The Donnas and The Breeders on the rockout scale. While they're just about as polished as The newer Donnas material, they tend to rock out a little bit harder, and lyrically they don't sing about peeling tires in their Camaro and having pajama parties with boys. Over the course of 11 tracks and just over 30 minutes, though, it can definitely be said that they cut to the chase. "Alright, Alright (Here's My Fist Where's The Fight?)" is a rumbling guitar and bass number with a totally catchy call and response chorus while "Keep Up The Speed" dares the listener to again toe the line with a fast-paced rhythm section and some dirty guitars.
The majority of the album keeps up a fairly relentless pace as well. "No Big Deal" runs at a brisk pace and features some flaming fill guitar licks during the sing-along chorus while "Are You Happy Now?" again leads in with quiet versus and blasts out with some nice loud guitars. Overall, some listeners may wish that there was a little less polish on things, but this foursome honestly actually rocks out more than some of their like-minded peers (rocking out in a similar, but somewhat safe way like their fellow countrymen The Hives). With winter encroaching every day, it's going to be harder to roll down the top on the car and pump your arms as you sing along with it, but the group does their best to make you feel like doing it anyway.
Rating: 6.75
