On
Perfect Love Song
, the second
Lisa Prank
album,
Robin Edwards
changed the way she went about recording her punk-pop heartbreak songs. This time around she ditched the drum machine and turned her one-woman project into a tight rock & roll band anchored by her raw guitar playing and the steady rhythm section of bassist
Bree McKenna
and drummer
Tom Fitzgibbon
. She also made the genius move of hiring
Rose Melberg
(
Softies
,
Tiger Trap
) to produce the album and more importantly, provide the occasional vocal harmony because if you want a lovely harmony on a sad song, why not go for the best?
Melberg
adds her dulcet tones to quite a few tracks and she and
Edwards
sound wonderful together. The songs this time around are a little different, too. Not only does she excel as before on uptempo garage punk songs that sound ripped out of the
Cub
and
songbook, but there's a wider range of tempos, moods, and arrangements that gives the record some welcome dimension. After the opening salvo of ripping rockers that lay
' broken heart bare and batter it with electric riffs, booming bass, and thundering drums, the midtempo indie pop weeper "Ignore It" comes along to serve as a breather and also a perfect example of how
has grown as a songwriter and singer. Again, it also helps that
is along to provide support. "Need Too Much" is another soft-focus pop song that bounces like an early
Ramones
ballad, "Work Hard" is a touching acoustic ballad that
sings with heartfelt sincerity, and "Telescope" is the album's quiet highlight. An aching ballad co-written and sung with
, it's a searching and beautiful song that captures the abject heartbreak that drives the album's lyrical content. Plus it sounds like a classic
song. Pair these quiet songs with the very strong batch of punk-pop rippers that make up the bulk of the record, and
ends up a big step forward for
. ~ Tim Sendra