Never mind the riproaring intensity of the Northwest trio's 1997 masterwork Dig Me Out; Sleater-Kinney turn things down a notch on their long-awaited followup, yet without an ounce of compromise. The Hot Rock proves that this threesome refuse to be categorized into any sort of random grrl-rock bracket.
Comprised of 13 tracks of reined-in, riff-based mettle, The Hot Rock relies heavily on smartly crafted intertwining vocal give-and-take between Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, more so than its predecessor. The first cut, "Start Together", sets the pace for the remainder of the record, teeming with potential energy and unleashing it in tiny increments, like hurling a bevy of hand grenades instead of dropping the big one. The title track follows (think stolen diamond), restrained only by their own devices but no less passionate. The rest of the record adheres to the same model that was first put forth by Television: you think that Sleater-Kinney are holding back somehow, but in retrospect, this record hits you like the proverbial ton of llamas. Even a song like the comfortable "Get Up" or the delicate "The Size Of Our Love" (Nirvana's "Drain You" coming full circle) are still crystalline shards of garagey splendor.
Granted, S-K aren't completely without fault - you have to wonder how much longer Tucker's voice is going to hold up, given the beating she gives it both in the studio and on stage. Sometimes the shrillness of her vocals is enough to make you toss up your hands and say, "No more!" three-quarters through. And the lack of a bass player is more of a detriment than a credit - the trebly feel that comes off as a result, while captivating if you're new to the band, eventually becomes bothersome.
All is forgiven, though - the sincerity in Tucker's heartwrenching vocals, the twin-guitar salvos courtesy of Tucker and Brownstein, and the vigorous drumming of Janet Weiss (the glue of this band, not an easy task given its bassless status) is more than enough to compensate.
In "Banned from the End of the World", Tucker states not-quite-matter-of-factly, "The future is here ... We're the band from the end of the world." True or not, Sleater-Kinney makes its case for being the band for the turn of the millennium with The Hot Rock.
--Brandon Grimes