Being the busy gal that she is, it's remarkable that Alicja Trout is able to crank out so many listenable records with so many different bands -- she plays with
the Lost Sounds,
Destruction Unit and Mouserocket as well as
River City Tanlines, and runs the Contaminated Records label as well as a recording studio. What's all the more remarkable is that each band actually manages to have its own personality, and on their second album,
River City Tanlines conjure up a distinct blend of garage rock, hard rock and pop-punk.
I'm Your Negative is dominated by big guitars that mean business -- Trout isn't kidding when she brandishes a Flying V on the cover -- but this isn't an overbearing slab of monochromatic riffage. The acoustic-laced musings of "Not Gonna Think About It Any More" are followed by the no-quarter neo-metal barrage of "Drowning Dreams," just as the garage-friendly title cut makes way for the
Runaways-flavored "In My Mode Rollin'," and Trout's simple but confident guitar work and no-nonsense vocal style makes them feel like they're all of a piece. Trout's songs are smart, tough and consistently make with the boogie, and her bandmates (Terrance Bishop on bass and J. Ferrel Bonds II on drums) help her bring this album home with all the power it needs. Most folks would be happy to be in one band this good, but
I'm Your Negative proves Trout has enough good ideas to go around, and
River City Tanlines delivers for anyone who likes their rock straight with no chaser. ~ Mark Deming