"Every tune on this album has its own groove, but it's all rock n' roll. We were really just going for whatever felt right. Some songs are hard and loud while others are totally danceable" - Kevin Preston, lead vocals and guitar
With a "... laser focus. Firing on all cylinders" the prettiest men in rock n roll, Glam rockers Prima Donna have done it again with the release of their latest album Nine Lives and Forty Fives. Fast, edgy, in-your-face with an attitude, this album lets us know without doubt they don't give a shit about who they insult or what the world thinks of them, because it's just the nature of rock n roll and the musician's life on the road amid one-night-stands, groupies and the next gig. It's bold, brash and beautiful, and I'm loving every minute of it.
Riding on the coattails of Prima Donna's latest gig at the Sundance Film Festival in January, followed by a record release party at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, Nine Lives and Forty Fives opens with a hard edge, sex-driven drum beat titled "Pretty Little Head," the first single release from the album. It tells the story of a girl who "wanted some" because she "came from none," and got more than she bargained for, quickly finding herself in over her head. The guitar riff sets the tone for the entire album and lets the audience know she's in for even more misery, because they'll never give up or give in.
Track Two is a throwback rock song called "Deathless" confessing he burned the bridge that would have made her "someone" and warns her to "leave real soon" before it destroys her, because he never had faith in her anyway, making his actions essentially a preemptive strike.
"Born Yesterday" is the first real dance song with a great sing-along in the chorus. But it is the lyrics that reinforce the mockery in the tone throughout the album, treating with contempt someone who was naive and gullible and easily fooled, "you keep on living out a bad, bad dream," while confessing their first sign of even a smidgen of remorse in the "sad, sad scene" of its aftermath. Though they admit they get tired of the victim asking "why, why, WHY?" and indifferently "walk away."
A dance tune with a surfer rock vibe and a great beat, "Living In Sin" mocks Prima Donna's upbringing in the suburbs of the San Fernando Valley amidst the hypocrisy that paid lip service to religious values and self-righteous, do-gooder hyperbole. Another single released from this album, it's the best dance song in the mix.
Track Five is a fast, fun straight-up punk song, titled "Rubbish," in the vein of the Sex Pistols and The Kinks. Who cares about the lyrics on this one? It's all about percussion and the hollowed-out, otherworldly anger in Kevin Preston's voice, with just the right touch of brat when he defiantly yells "I won't!" The guitar riff at the end ain't bad either. "Rock and Roll Is Dead" and they just don't care, pretty much sums up Track Six. A classic hard rock song that gives nod to rock n roll's beginnings all the way through to its eventual demise.
The heartbreaker bad boy attitude is back in Track Seven, titled "Like Hell." It's as if they channeled Fifty Shades of Grey in this song, with lines like "My heart is black," "I want your soul" and "I won't do anything unless I've got control and I want it now," letting her know in no uncertain terms he's the one who will decide when she can and can't stop playing the game. I have to admit, the song is both sexy and really disturbing.
"I'm on Fire" is exactly about what the title implies and expresses his desire for a woman who has no lover, and "Tattooed Love Girls" is an upbeat dance song about being hopelessly into hardcore edgy girls with tattoos all over bodies he's begging to be let into.
The mean, mocking indifference is back with Track Ten "Rip Her To Shreds." Another straight-up punk song, they rip to shreds an annoying groupie who has no clue how other people see her. The lyrics "I wish she'd take a flight to Palestine" and just go away made me laugh out loud. Funny in its honesty and cynical in its execution, this is my favorite song on the album.
The album closes with a pure lust sex scene. Titled "Eat Your Heart Out," it's easy to imagine he's in the middle of a full-on sex fantasy he's hoping to make reality, begging her to give him a try, which is a fitting metaphor for the theme and a satisfying ending to a strong album.
For tour dates and other info about the band, check them out at http://primadonnarocks.com/
