You'd probably recognize Melissa Auf Der Maur as the detached and bad-to-the-bone interim bass player for the Smashing Pumpkins and Hole throughout the 1990's. But did you know that this comely Canadian can also fly solo? Well neither did anyone else until her first solo record, Auf Der Maur, came out last month. But is this album as good as one would expect? Well if your expectations are anything like mine, then yes... it isn't very good.
Most of Auf Der Maur reads like an after-school special on how girls can rock just as hard as boys can. Of course, this is a concept that most of us have already grasped, so for the most part, Ms. Auf Der Maur's smug and confrontational delivery seems a little unnecessary, if not also a bit unnatural.
There are a number of catchy tunes to be found on the album (i.e. "Lightning is My Girl", "My Foggy Notion" and "Would if I Could"), but they all come with a sprinkling of immaturity and a brick of cheese baked into the crust. Still, if you're a fan of Melissa's previous work, or if you just love Veruca Salt, Auf Der Maur won't make you vomit or anything -- I swear. It actually would have been pretty good, in 1995.
1.5/4
