The Donnas' sixth album saw them taking an entirely new musical direction; and not everybody was best pleased. If I remember rightly, Metal Hammer even said something along the lines of 'who the f**k has kidnapped the Donnas and replaced them with The Bangles?' These people clearly can't handle change. Whilst this is certainly a much calmer and more serious album than the previous five, with the earnest acoustic pop of title track Gold Medal and It Takes One To Know One, a scathing assault on sexism with a riff that shows Allison Robertson's undeniable growth as a guitarist, the transition is smooth. They were neither trying too hard, nor had they lost their signature pop-punk sound - which suggests the maturity was not just The Donnas' attempts at being grown ups, but actually entirely natural. Those who criticised this album for its new direction didn't seem to be keeping in mind that The Donnas formed when they were still in high school. They were never going to make music about lusting after cute boys in skintight jeans and beating up their love rivals forever. Best Tracks: Fall Behind Me, Have You No Pride, Friends Like Mine Like this article? Let us know in the comments section below.
Stephanie is a writer and free spirit who likes to pretend she's a Londoner, though strictly speaking she's from Watford. She likes books, music, elephants, and hairspray.
