Veruca Salt

Eight Arms to Hold You

(OUTPOST/GEFFEN)

Veruca Salt fill their songs with punky guitar turmoil and vocal angst, but they're a pop band at heart. If grunge hadn't happened, they'd probably be just as happy to be hairy metal troupers opening up for Poison. On their first album, American Thighs, they were pop princesses singing about Victrolas and their love of Levelor blinds; last year they got the punk purism out of their system with Blow It Out Your Ass, It's Veruca Salt, a tedious little exercise produced by Steve Albini. On Eight Arms to Hold You, Veruca Salt get back to poppier pleasures, but veteran schlock-metal producer Bob Rock helps them get in touch with their inner Ratt. The result is the best music they've ever made -- twitchy, powerful ... sexy. Front girlies Nina Gordon and Louise Post sound more confident in their singing and songwriting, shimmying through frisky tunes with great new-wave titles like "Awesome" and "With David Bowie." They sound more like the Bangles than the Breeders this time, decorating the guitar chime with gooey harmonies, handclaps, and clever references to the Beatles and Def Leppard. Nina and Louise still harbor a weakness for woe-is-me lyrics, but when they strut their stuff in a goofy sex boast like "Venus Man Trap," watch out -- these twisted sisters are simply irresistable.