CRUSHING LOVE

1. Is This What I've Been Waiting For?
2. Poor Man's You
3. Partner in Crime
4. Hooray For L.A.
5. Social Control
6. On My Own Again
7. Stars In My Dreams
8. Rock Or Pop?
9. Live Alone
10. Just Like That
11. He's On Drugs Again
12. Never Really Mine
13. Kill the Bottle
14. Magnetic Fields

(released with bonus DVD 11 July 2006 on Koch Records. The DVD is approximately 15 minutes long featuring live snippets from the Feel It shows including Robot City, Partner In Crime, He’s On Drugs Again, When I Let My Guard Down, The Prettiest Girl, Necessito, Native Tongue.)

Taking up Koch Records’ option for a second album, the ‘side project’ returns with 14 more alt-pop tunes. More vocal and songwriting contributions from Freda Love and Heidi Gluck than on Feel It and better for it.

Heidi’s two contributions are wondrous melodies – Live Alone and On My Own - which on first listen, belie the bleak lyrics. Freda’s best songwriting moments are the opener Is This What I’ve Been Waiting For? and the sublime melody of Partner In Crime (both co-written with Freda’s husband Jake Smith).

Just Like That is notable as it sees Juliana performing a song written about her (by former beau Joe Keefe) as she did way back in 1993 on the Lemonheads’ Its About Time.

The cover of the brilliant He’s On Drugs Again gets the studio treatment having been a live favourite on the Feel It tour and is a welcome addition to the record.

The album is well produced musically with enough pop hooks to satisfy although some of the lyrics have a demo ‘quality’ – possibly an unfinished collection of random thoughts, particularly Juliana’s. The wish to discipline a man for spilling beer on her cleavage?! in the curious Social Control and Hooray for LA’s ‘celebration’ of stereotypical descriptions of Los Angeles suggesting Juliana’s drifting thoughts put to paper. They also appear to be the motivation behind Rock Or Pop, complete with it’s tinkly piano:

think of the difference
are you writing for an audience?
or are you writing for yourself?
you're very willing to go straight to hell
ooh rock or pop?
ooh rock or pop?
ooh rock or pop?
Ooh pop or rock?

Released with no supporting tour and possibly rushed, Crushing Love is a delightful record and perhaps a more immediate pleasure than its excellent predecessor.

Personnel

Juliana Hatfield - vocals, guitars, keyboards and harmonica
Heidi Gluck - bass, vocals, lap steel, keyboards and guitar on "Live Alone"
Freda Love - drums and vocals
Jake Smith - additional guitar on "Magnetic Fields" and backing vocals on "Is This What I've Been Waiting For?"
Josh Berwanger - banjo on "On My Own Again"
Tony Whitlock - recorder on "Rock Or Pop?"