ANNA WARONKER Anna (Five Foot Two/Oglio) Rating: NNN Rating: NNN
Anna Waronker was always the primary songwriter for mid-90s cutesy-poppers that dog. So it’s no surprise that her solo project’s finally flying. Dog fans be warned, though: Anna isn’t as fey as her old band’s sweet cotton-candy fluff. It’s entirely violin-free, for one. In a nutshell, Waronker does the Breeders better than they remember how, with a little grit sacrificed in favour of new-wave bounce. The disc has 14 solid tracks of fizzy, alt-guitar garage pop, some slightly punky, all super-radio-friendly. (Most of ’em clock in at just under three minutes.) She serves up hot-pink heartbreak swaddled in gauzy chiffon feedback, happy, hooky tunes with bright electric guitars whose lyrics delve into the wonderful world of teen dreamboat love. With a voice like the B-52s’ Kate Pierson, Waronker proves herself to be a lady from the Liz Phair school of rough-and-ready broads. Whatever else, you definitely don’t wanna mess with her.