By the time
Mika Miko released their final album,
We Be Xuxa, Jennifer and Jessica Clavin were already leaning toward the cleaner, more melodic punk-pop that they explore more fully on
Ride Your Heart, their debut album as
Bleached. Their early singles, like the excellent "Searching Through the Past" -- which appears here and remains a highlight -- were equal parts sassy attitude and vulnerable confessions, all wrapped up in inescapable hooks and melodies. Elsewhere, "Love Spells" and "Waiting by the Telephone" follow in the vein of "Searching Through the Past," but their familiarity works in their favor. "Guy Like You" shows off some unexpectedly sensitive songwriting from the sisters, not just compared to their
Mika Miko work, but to their earlier singles as well. The song's dreamy acoustic vibe -- complete with slide guitar -- is sweet, but does little to dissuade the notion that the Clavins are at their best when they're swaggering at least a little. The girl group chug of "Dreaming Without You" offers a unique balance of heartbreak and independence, while the wistful title track shows that they can do pretty without losing their identity. At its best,
Ride Your Heart captures
Bleached's carefree, slightly scuzzy California cool-girl charm. ~ Heather Phares