One Girl Revolution (CD - 2007)

Saving Jane had a hit single on a major label before finding themselves back in indieland for their third album, a defiant and crunchy celebration of hard-rocking guitars and a sort of post-post-feminist irritability. Singer and chief songwriter Marti Dodson has a chip on her shoulder about exploitative images of half-naked women in pop music marketing, and if her critique is sometimes a bit addled ("Raise your hand if the shape of your hips/Don't compare to the shape of your mind"), it's also sometimes absolutely perfect ("You don't even stand a chance/I'm not taking off my pants"). And about halfway through the album, she shows another card: on "Grace," she outlines her personal religious conversion in startlingly personal detail. Ultimately, though, One Girl Revolution is less about cultural critique or Christian evangelism than it is about big, dense guitars and sharp hooks: "Loser," "Let Me Down Easy," and the irresistibly anthemic "Better Day" are all brilliant examples of timeless guitar rock. Dodson needs to tighten up her lyrics a bit, but nothing needs to change about her band's gutsy sound and her own powerful voice. ~ Rick Anderson minimize