Be a Girl

Personnel: Nille Perned (guitar, programming); Bjön Malmquist (violin).
Audio Mixer: Nille Perned.
Recording information: MNW Studio, Vaxholm; Music-A-Matic Studio, Gothenburg.
Photographer: Steve Double.
This is the album that rocketed the Wannadies to stardom internationally. Thanks to start-stop dynamics of the romantic power-pop single "You and Me Song," the band managed to find success on both sides of the Atlantic; in the U.K. the song hit the charts at the height of the Brit-pop movement and in the U.S. (where this album was never released) the song was featured in a prominent scene of the movie Romeo and Juliet. The magic of this album doesn't stop there, though. In fact, "Be a Girl" is a tour de force that lasts throughout the album's entire 11 tracks. Beside "You and Me Song," there's "Might Be Stars," another huge U.K. hit that is, without a doubt, one of the best songs ever written about being a rock star. Other highlights include the pure-pop mania of "Love in June" and "New World Record," a punchy, loud, arena-ready stomper. The guitars are noticeably louder on this disc, and the pace barely relents before "Kid," a gut-wrenching power-ballad, sends the listener away wanting another 11 tracks. This is classic Brit-pop from beginning to end -- a life-affirming album that reminds us why rock & roll is so great. (The Japanese version of this album contains a bonus track titled "Oh Oh Let's Go," which is a fine addition to the disc, but the cost is somewhat prohibitive). ~ Jason Damas