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Bitchin'

by The Donnas

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Gone from the ranks of the major label (Atlantic) that signed them, the Donnas return on Bitchin' to the ranks of indie rock while still reaching ambitiously for stadium-proportion rawk. From the leather trousers and dope-smoking feather on the cover to the album-opening chowder of slow kick drum thumps and chunky feedback-glinting guitar riffs, the Donnas are after the arena-rock vibe. And this is the stuff that made arenas churn in the 1970s, retro, yes, but potent. They go for AC/DC's simple one-two rhythms, the brawny choruses that became FM radio's signature, and lyrics like this: "The first time I saw your face/I got wasted on your love." Yes, it's reductionist as indie rock goes, but Bitchin' is also exhilarating--the chant-like vocal choruses, the guitar effects, the more-cowbell enthusiasm, the hands-in-the-air pacing. The Donnas are clearly looking to keep rock & roll a collective experience, the stuff, again, that made arena crowds pump their fists through blue smoke all those years ago. --Andrew Bartlett