Four years after the tears'n'tiaras of 'Live Through This', Hole return with a new studio album. In the meantime, Courtney Love has reinvented herself as Hollywood player. From whence is the bile going to come now?
Well, as the title might indicate, it comes from the whole fame trip - "I'm glad I came here with your pound of flesh" Love sneers on the title track as the guitars rasp around her.
However, after that typically abrasive opening, the album takes a more poppy tone, with the singles 'Awful' and 'Malibu' melding a an acoustic sheen to Hole's normal buzzsaw style.
The likes of 'Hit So Hard' and 'Heaven Tonight' at times recall '80s bands such as The Bangles and The Raincoats, with Love's vocals far removed from the grrrl sneer of debut 'Pretty On The Inside'.
The mournful 'Dying' and the acerbic 'Playing Your Song' are flashbacks of the former Ms Love - "So bored and cynical/It's fuckin' wonderful, they sold you out" she screams on the latter, in what will no doubt be construed as a reference to Kurt Cobain.
Although at times the pop gloss is too much this will hopefully bring Hole to the attention of a wider audience. Sometimes it's better to gently subvert from within the system.
