3x****
Kicking off with the best, "Ballad Of A Ladyman"**** makes good use of the complex guitars and vocal melodies throughout, but isn't overly busy. My only gripe is that there is no reason to care about the subject's life in a band. "You're No Rock N Roll Fun"**** is anthemic garage rock that fits the title. The driving title song is well-constructed but tends to drag at the droney choruses. "#1 Must Have" also drags overall to accommodate overly-busy riffing. More punky tracks such as "Ironclad" and "Youth Decay" often find the best balance of interesting riffs and momentum, but these are too heavily dominated by shrill, histionic Corin Tucker vocals, played up most annoyingly in "The Professional". As important as this intensity is to the sound, parts sung by Brownstein are a welcome respite. In a way, all parts work together best on the slow and dreamy closer "The Swimmer"****. The subtle lezlie guitar and unusually restrained vocals resolve in the anthemically harmonized chorus.
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