DON'T- "Fever Dreams" LP

"[PUNK 'N' ROLL] Don't frontwoman Jenny Connors has always had an awesome voice. But on the band's sophomore album, Fever Dreams, her vocals are particularly boss, striking the exact midpoint between Courtney Love's uninhibited gruffness and the pout of Gwen Stefani. On "'89," Connors keeps pace with the song's fast tempo without losing any swagger. On "Wrong Generation," she coughs out the verses and gets wistful on the choruses. Perhaps her vocal performance was propelled by the band's turned-up drive. Fever Dreams is faster and punchier than Don't's debut, Away Away. The drums, courtesy of the Wipers' Sam Henry, pound and roll relentlessly, and the guitars are constantly on the verge of running off into a solo. The band speeds through the album's eight songs in a mere 21 minutes, and takes zero downtime along the way. You could maybe count the slightly slowed-down "Love Lost" as a break, but even then, the guitar sounds like a revving engine. For those who are into gut-punching rock 'n' roll, this is some satisfying shit." -SHANNON GORMLEY.