God Help the Delphines

The Delphines consisted of former Go-Go's guitarist Kathy Valentine and lead singer Dominique Davalos. This 1996 release was the group's second, following an earlier EP. It's one of those rare albums that grabs the listener from the first second and never lets go. Davalos is a find, providing vocals that sound like a cross between Pat Benatar and Courtney Love, which suits the high-energy quite nicely. Valentine's playing is melodically mercurial, mixing punk, blues, and new wave. The lyrics are often dark and dramatic, but still retain an endearing spunk to go with their insightfulness. They detail well crumbling relationships on songs like the breakneck "I Want You the Way I Want You Not How You Are," the pop gem "Crazy Two," and the blues-tinged "Thrill of It." They also inject a healthy dose of humor into the urban-punk tale "Down Underground." Along with the best of Jane Wiedlin's solo material, The Delphines is the strongest (and most engaging) music produced by any of the Go-Go's members during the band's long hiatus.