BUCK C. COOKE
| 9.3.2008
KELLY CLARKSON, WATCH your back — the Veronicas are staking claim to your pop/rock territory. Released last year Down Under, “Hook Me Up” became available on iTunes in May and finally got a proper U.S. release last month.
The 23-year-old identical twins Lisa and Jessica Origliasso released their debut album, “The Secret Life of …” in 2006. Critics wet themselves in Australia and stateside, but the twins wanted to cover new ground on “Hook Me Up.”
“It’s been more than two years since we wrote the first record, so our musical tastes have changed a bit,” Lisa says. “We’ve been living in Los Angeles where we got into the whole electro-pop rock scene. When it came time to write the new album, we were really inspired by it musically.”
Sister Jessica says they didn’t want to make a record like the first one anyway. "We definitely wanted to create a different sound for ourselves and reinvent the Veronicas.”
All that said, “Hook Me Up” is not a dramatic departure from their first album, but it’s filled with electric guitar riffs, synths and glossy production that showcase the sisters’ vocals and sassy attitude. “Untouched” was the lead single, and the video immediately entered MTV’s “TRL” countdown this summer.
THE TITLE TRACK IS a little more edgy with a harder sound. “Take Me on the Floor” is a funky ditty about getting down at the club, and “Popular” is a Jason Nevins-style romp packed with guitar and big beats.
The album’s “Since U Been Gone” moment comes in the form of “Revenge is Sweeter (Than You Ever Were),” which is less harsh than Clarkson’s kiss-off track, but the message is clear: you were a waste of time and I am glad you’re out of my life.
Obviously someone did one of the twins wrong, and we feel it!
There are some sweeter moments on the album, though. “This Love” is a ballad about not giving up, “I Don’t Wanna Wait” is an insistent plea for affection, and “Someone Wake Me Up” is a ballad with some muscle: big beats pulse under lyrics about missing a relationship after it is over.
The album wraps up with the beautiful, tender “In Another Life.” The sisters Origliasso sing about wanting to make a relationship work but knowing that it’s better for both parties to be apart.
The emotional depth bodes well for the Veronicas. They clearly play to their strengths at the pop end of the musical gene pool, but the material is growing and maturing, just like the sisters.
In addition to co-writing 10 of the 12 tracks on “Hook Me Up,” the twins experienced great success writing songs for other artists, including “Australian Idol” champ Casey Donovan.
AFTER WRAPPING A leg on tour with Natasha Bedingfield, the Veronicas are currently on the road with the Jail Bait, er, Jonas Brothers. Ironically, the Brothers opened for the sisters during their first tour of the U.S. as a headliner in 2006.
“Hook Me Up” is a rousing collection of pop/rock tracks that brim with personality and promise. With business acumen, songwriting and vocal talents, and their fierce looks, the Veronicas should have a lengthy career in pop music — assuming they can avoid the Britney Spears pitfalls and stick more to the Clarkson model focusing on writing, recording, and strong performances.
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