The Jolenes: Get It To Go

Ah, where would the world be without bubble gum pop? Would the USSR have dissolved if bubble gum pop never existed? Think about it. In the meantime, this Portland group concocts some lovely scoops of the sweet, infectious and hook-riddled sounds on “Ice Cream” as they talk about the various flavors while resembling an Americanized Elastica. Lead singer Katy Sanford has a sugar-coated voice on the buzzsaw numbers such as “Daddy Needs $” and the aptly-titled charmer “Sugar”. The Jolenes craft finely tuned songs that never grow stale thanks to the band’s youthful energy and exuberance on the straightforward and sinfully catchy “Make Me” and “Curses”. Despite these strong songs, the highlight could be the edgier “Frenchie” with thicker riffs fuelling the summery track. However, they throw a curveball into the mix with Stevie Nicks’ classic “Leather and Lace”. They lose the plot with the lone clunker “Pedro” which nobody would vote for.