Brody Dalle – Diploid Love

If there was any wonder as to what the former mastermind behind both The Distillers and the short-lived Spinnerette has been up to since those acts’ final records, the title of Brody Dalle’s debut solo LP, ‘Diploid Love’, all but gives it away. Now pretty much full-time in both motherhood and rock ‘n roll, the firebrand guitarist has teamed up with a veritable gang of pals to create an album that’s pulls no less punches than her earlier work – if a little more thoughtful.

‘Don’t Mess With Me’, lyrics such as “I’m a sure-fire assassin” (‘Rat Race’) and the thunderous riffs of ‘Underworld’, there’s plenty of proof that signature bite is still present and correct. There’s hat-tips from Garbage’s Shirley Manson, Warpaint’s Emily Kokal, The Strokes’ Nick Valensi, and a pinch of Mexican spice from the Mariachi El Bronx guys.

What’s more, the delicate ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ and explosive (and yes, QOTSA-channelling) ‘Parties For Prostitutes’ show off a whole new dimension to the punk stalwart, being more brooding, building and – dare one suggest it, quiet – than her past work.