The Center Won’ t Hold

MILK! / REMOTE CONTROL

Though clearly more adroit, mature and distinct, Sleater-Kinney haven’t shed a gram of quality since their ’95 debut. LP9 is another bullseye on their dartboard, juggling riotous bouts of fretboard abuse with opulent theatrics. Moments of restraint make the heavier blows feel all the more vicious – you’ll long for the taste of blood when Carrie Brownstein bellows another witty quip, or when Corin Tucker belts down on her Tele with the force of a thousand suns. The twangier, alt-rock leaning cuts are suave and teasing, and the slithers of fierce and frenetic punk-rock are all kinds of intense. St. Vincent’s influence is felt stoutly on the record, too, with the producer’s signature motley, idiosyncratic flair glimmering through at every wild and warbly turn.