Courtney Love is America's Sweetheart

Courtney Love once again proves with her solo debut, ironically titled America's Sweetheart that she can rock harder than any man. At a time when the music industry is saturated with rap, pop-punk and well, American Idol, Love drops an album flowing with a smashing guitar spirit that thankfully didn't die with the 90's and an unapologetic in-your-face force.

Kicking off a drug-infused album is the scream-laden single "Mono." The first single boasts "ecstasy, hard drugs and bad luck," all of which Courtney partook in, spanning over a decade since her band Hole's 1994 masterpiece Live Through This.

For her official solo debut, Love called in the pros: Matchbox Twenty producer Matt Serletic, ex-boyfriend/producer Jim Barber, Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin, Christina Aguilera hit-maker and former lead singer of Four Non-Blondes Linda Perry. Despite the gathering of song-doctors America's Sweetheart lacks the spark and originality of Hole's music. The majority of the songs rocking the album will be forgotten in the overwhelming sea of music.

Courtney fans will not be disappointed with lack of controversy. America's Sweetheart is a musical promotional tour of the seedy drug abusing Sunset Strip, aptly titled as the fourth track. Love goes through a grocery list of drug references including: needles, spoons, being stoned, speed and pills. When Love runs out of drugs in her music she turns to sexually free lyrics that reflect her life and which herald her "most likely to screw a rock star" at Rock and Roll High. If anyone can scream and boast about getting "dick" and "fucking" in a rock song it's gotta be Courtney. She sleazily calls for "brilliant boys that we wanna fuck," advertising an opening that's been filled with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, and most famously, her late husband, Kurt Cobain.

One major credit Courtney holds is writing about what she knows through personal experience. The cliche of sex, drugs and rock and roll is what she knows. She references Marie Antoinette in the fast, greed loving track "I'll Do Anything," proclaiming "Let them eat cake until they all starve." Courtney can definitely relate to Antoinette, both have been famously hated women.
Courtney has endured a never-ending onslaught of attacks for selling out, being overly sexual, her drug habits and interfering with Nirvana's music. So when Love is a little edgy, angry and severe in her musical approach, perhaps she's earned the right.

Although America's Sweetheart doesn't capture Courtney Love's genius and innovation, it is a badly needed addition to the rock catalogues. Love added some remarkable tracks to her Hole legacy, including "Almost Golden" and "Never Gonna Be The Same." Both tracks are actually more tame than the rest of the record and show that Love doesn't always have to wear the hat of the
scratchy screamer.

The stand-out track of Sweetheart is the vulnerable "Hold on to Me." This remarkable ode to an unnamed love mixes soothing guitar riffs and quiet confessions by Love with a more brooding and powerful sound, later throwing in her trademark shriek. "This life is never fair/ The angels that you need are never there," shudders Love innocently.

That is Courtney Love, two ends of extremes, never grey. She is both sensitive and unapologetic. She is the rock queen and actress. She is the experienced drug user and mother. She can release a so-so album and create an unforgettable song, or two. If we criticize Courtney for a moderate album filled with drugs, sex and a hard life that echoes in her voice, we should remember that it is exactly what we love, from Courtney Love.