Building off the glowing, bubblegum pop that saturated their first album,
the Jolenes continue exploring this ground on the delectable, tasty "Ice Cream." While the lyrics won't be compared to any that
Thom Yorke might conjure up, the hook created by lead singer and guitarist Katy Sanford is difficult not to enjoy. Meanwhile, the band can also dish out some fine rock numbers, like the lean, punk-oriented "Daddy Needs $," which has that sweet innocent harmony from start to finish in the chorus. The first highlight is the buzz-tinged "Make Me," which the band nails immediately despite a rather indifferent vocal delivery. This same feeling is touched upon later during "Curses." But a couple of numbers lack that oomph or passion, which is the case with the rather ordinary "Sugar," a song that leaves a rather bitter taste in the listener's mouth. When
the Jolenes do what they do best, they simply shine and captivate one with the gorgeous, summery "Frenchie," which compares favorably to
the New Pornographers with
Neko Case on lead vocal duties. However, they tend to bite off just a bit more than they can chew during their rendition of
Stevie Nicks' "Leather and Lace," which is a mixed blessing. The lone aberration on the album has to be the Spanish-laced "Pedro," a midtempo, horn-tinged pop tune that doesn't quite mesh. Generally though,
the Jolenes are solid on the infectious, lovable, and cavity-inducing "He Broke My..." and the rousing, heavier "Devil Made Her Do It." ~ Jason MacNeil