Riot grrls... are cool?

This is not your kid sister's bubblegum pop. This is not even the Sleater-Kinney of One Beat, the tamed down riot grrls who rocked out to bouncy riffs and appealing vocals. It is, however, a more mature Sleater-Kinney, raw and faster and better than ever with an album fierce from start to finish. The Woods, the trio's first album on legendary Sub Pop records, opens with "The Fox," a children's lullaby presented as an unapologetic anthem rich with distortion and bass. The track makes it immediately clear that S-K's style has developed in a positive direction - it is pure and primitive rock and roll, the ultimate rebellion against all the radio-friendly crap out there. With smart lyrics and pounding, catchy beats, Corin, Carrie and Janet are at their best on songs like "Entertain" and "Rollercoaster," the latter of which grinds hard while simultaneously serving up pure fun. The highlight, though, is the 11-minute psychedelic epic, "Let's Call It Love," which includes a furious experiment in guitar heroics. The Woods is a beautiful battle cry, ferociously capturing both vitality and violence. Producer Dave Fridmann's Midas touch has served the group well, not allowing a seventh-album stasis plague them. The Woods ultimately reflects a Sleater-Kinney that is, this late in their career, unwilling to rely on formulae.