outersound : in review : a - d : review

Links Epitaph Records Division of Laura Lee Official Site	Division of Laura Lee Black City Epitaph Release Date: 2002 The Division of Laura Lee will be passed over by most. The group happens to be coming into the spotlight at a time when most of their countrymen are already making inroads into the American mainstream. This will unfortunately relegate them to music mag side bar status and second fiddle also ran “fame.” Let’s face it, The Hives and the Sahara Hotnights just make for better copy. But what the publications guilty of overlooking this band are missing is the simple fact that compared to their “hot” counterparts, the DOLL have put together a much more complex and textured record than the Swedish big print names of 2002. Sure the inevitable garage rock “hail hail rock and roll” swagger is there, but on Black City the band tempers these easily assumed postures with tracks that veer into Primal Scream and Joy Division territory as well. Nothing here is simply done for style points, the DOLL, unlike other Swedes, moves along the rock spectrum and seems ever genuine in each pose. But genuine journeyman hard working textured rock doesn’t always grab headlines, the media doesn’t want the DOLL unfortunately, they want nice covers.   LIVE SHOW REVIEW Division of Laura Lee Live Fall 2002  Mercury Lounge, NYC       As a live act, the DOLL bring a sense of recklessness reminiscent of a young Mudhoney. Yes, an odd comparison at first glance, but the similarities are there. There is no glitz, no “show” per se, but there is definitely an undeniable sense that the rock and roll danger is always near and very real. Throughout the set there is a constant sense that the bad wants to break something, maybe the stage, maybe the crowd’s resolute crossed arm stances. Something or someone is in danger from start to finish. The most obvious victim ends up being the songs on record complexities. In their live incarnation, the DOLL throw the “other influences” right out the window. The band simply rips thru their songs with reckless abandon. Luckily, this in no way detracts from their songs, they simply give the listener a new delivery and angle. Instead of making you think a bit harder, they rock that much more. The swagger is in full gear and the DOLL delivers a rock n roll punch others can’t seem to muster nowadays. -- Miguel Banuelos banuelos@outersound.com

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