Eight Arms To Hold You

Picture Joan Jett at her altruistic peak creating sparks in the studio by chomping at the bit proffered by a calculating — but astute and sympathetic — Svengali, and you have a fair grasp of Eight Arms to Hold You. In fact, ferocious lead single “Volcano Girls” holds its own in the classic, dumb-ass, slashing hard rock singles sweepstakes with Jett’s own “I Love Rock’n'Roll.” This destructive blast only clears the terrain for some of the album’s more tuneful missiles like the Bangles-ish “Awesome,” the pseudo-orchestrated “Benjamin” (has it become impossible to make a rock album without cello, real or synthesized?), and the hook-festooned “The Morning Sad.” Throughout, the dual-tracked siren calls of Kim Gordon and Louise Post ensnare just long enough for the group’s rock-amplified guitars-bass-drums to smash you stupid. – Roch Parisien