Is it a hit, *hit or miss?

Sahara Hotnights - Kiss & Tell  by Chuck D

Sahara Hotnights - Kiss & Tell
Label: RCA
Hit, *hit or Miss?:  Hit
Rating: 

Fun, quirky, simple and sexy. Those are the four best adjectives to describe the third effort from Sweden's hottest new export, Sahara Hotnights. And the third time's the charm. This record is a rousing success.

You probably don't find yourself wondering what Ric Ocasek and Elliot Easton, formerly of The Cars, are doing nowadays, but after one play-through of "Kiss & Tell" you be channeling some of those great early 80s vibes.

Polished and poised, "Kiss & Tell" opens up with the doo-wop of "Who Do You Dance For" then explodes into possibly one of the most fun songs to come along in a long time, "Hot Night Crash." Sweden has a reputation  for relaxing massages and  being cold, but this song radiates hot summer fun and energy.

Singer/guitarist Maria Andersson (yes, that's not one, but TWO esses...remember, they're Swedish), the arm-candy of The Hives frontman, Howlin' Pelle Almqvist, serves up the "Too Fast For Love"-esque, "Walk On The Wire" to a fist-pumping crescendo. 

What Sahara Hotnights does well is to sound simplistic without sounding simple. There are no virtuoso instrumentalists here. But they manage to serve up their odd guitar riffs but bookend them with rousing chorus' and winning verses.

The Cars similarities come into play most significantly on the song "Stay/Stay Away" with it's moog-y keyboard placed over the smooth syncopated rhythm track and the moody stalker-girlfriend chorus of:

"Stay/Stay Away 
I Can Only Do What I'm Told
Should I Stay/Stay Away
If You Say So, I'll Leave You Alone"

Production is clean and pleasing and Andersson's vocals are nasally without being annoying. These songs would've fit right into the movie "Valley Girl" or "Say Anything" with ease and maybe that retro-fit is what makes "Kiss & Tell" so likable. It's fringe, but
very accessible fringe. These aren't you're mother's "Go-Gos" and heck, they're not even The Donnas, playing up that sexy side of female rock bands...this is a very competent rock-outfit that can craft a groovy and quirky joyride of a pop song. 

It's not a gimmick, but they happen to be all girls.