Lawdy mama, the Donnas are back. They’ve hooked up with a major-label and they’re now sounding like the Runaways gone fissile. Cherry bombs with extra bang: tougher axes and a vocalist (Brett Anderson, aka Donna A.) who can sing Cherie Currie under the bar any night of the week. The themes? Sex, booze, and partying; rock’n’roll the way the devil intended it to be. Right from the Sex Pistols-esque opener “It’s on the Rocks,” the energy doesn’t dip. And don’t bother checking for ballads. You’ve gotta love a girl band that takes the piss out of yuppies who wear $200 “Dirty Denim.” (Keep an ear out for the Johnny Thunders licks. Mm-mmm.) If this disc has a weakness, it’s in the somewhat “samey” feel of a couple of the songs, but at just under 40 minutes it’s no biggie. Manic-aggressive and cute to boot, the Donnas are a blast, and Spend the Night is top-drawer pop-punk.—AZ
