ANNA WARONKER
Anna (Five Foot Two)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Former That Dog front woman Anna Waronker returns with a truly essential album for fans of catchy, well written and perfectly performed indie/power pop. Waronker is married to Redd Kross bassist Steven McDonald (who plays on the CD), and the sister-in-law of Redd Kross guitarist/vocalist Jeff McDonald and his wife, former Go-Go, Charlotte Caffey. If you're at all familiar with the upbeat kind of power pop that Redd Kross and That Dog created, and you remember the optimism of The Go-Gos, imagine all of that coming together into a sound you could point to and say "Yeah, this band I just heard has that fun GoWanokerKrossDog thing happening." That's what you get with Anna, the 14 track solo CD that has hooks so catchy you can't even pretend to ignore them, lyrics that are as memorable as the melodies they're hung on and are therefore bound to get stuck in your head, and even a song or two with all kinds of radio potential. "I Wish You Well," in particular, has the hooks and exuberance to cross over to the younger crowd and the guts to please the adult popsters. The greatest thing about this album, from a listener's viewpoint, is it's nearly impossible to feel bad while it's playing. The fun is contagious and worth catching.

© 2003 - DJ Johnson