As the classic saying goes, incinerate your ride once, shame on the lighter. Incinerate your ride twice, shame on The Pink Spiders. The Nashville power-poppers have a way with flames, but such is the combustible nature of a touring band on the brink. After accidentally torching an equipment trailer between gigs a few years back, they decided to one-up themselves by setting ablaze an entire school bus. The Spiders traveled Partridge Family-style, at least until the tires melted. It does make a great story, so score it a Pyrrhic victory on the road to the top.
To the top, after all, is where this band is headed. The for-now quartet plays a perky brand of all-American candy rock sure to catch the sweet tooth of every 14-year-old girl this side of Hannah, Montana.
With their third record, "Sweat It Out" being released Sept. 23, The Pink Spiders further hone their demographic appeal, tapping a well-balanced sound that is equal parts crunchy drive and heartthrob drama. It will offend the seasoned punk. It will scare the hell out of your grandmother.
The one-two opening of "Busy Signals" and "Gimme Chemicals" at once speaks to The Pink Spiders' strengths and weaknesses. An undisputed high point, the former song pairs an ace "woo-hoo" vocal hook and big rock sound to a plaintive set of lyrics about breakup-by-telephone.
We'll presume this a relationship wrecked by wild nights because that's the only link between this innocuous puppy-love fluff and the wonderfully debauched "Gimme Chemicals." Is the Spider-as-wild-child image believable? Of course not, but then Katy Perry probably doesn't like kissing girls either. The Hot 100 doesn't reward spots for honesty.
"Seventeen Candles" plays like a sequel to your favorite Brat Pack movie. "Don't Wait For Me" exploits a similar substance to nougat ratio. If you don't reach track six, make sure to catch this tune on The Hills as the soundtrack to the inevitable Heidi-leaves-Spencer montage.
The band pegged "Sleeping on the Floor" as single No. 2, so it must be a standout, but in truth, "Sweat It Out" essentially applies varying degrees of pep to the same song. It's a damn catchy song, though, and one that forecasts a déjà vu-tinged future. The Pink Spiders are about to catch fire.
