Melissa Auf der Maur - 'Auf der Maur' (EMI) Released 01/03/04

Melissa Auf der Maur is no stranger to the music business, her CV containing a five-year stint as bassist in Courtney Love’s band Hole, before becoming a member of the now defunct Smashing Pumpkins.  Now the Canadian has decided to make her self-financed debut record, but not without the help of some friends she picked up on her musical travels.  Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Eric Erlandson (Hole), and James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) all make contributions, while the appearance of members of her first band Tinker show she hasn’t forgotten her roots. 

Auf der Maur is a riff-laden debut, starting as it means to go on in the shape of 'Lightning Is My Girl'.  A fast paced heavy rock song, it features a great hook and mixes spoken verses with a roaring chorus.  This momentum is carried over into 'Followed The Waves', which starts with a banshee-like wail.  It soon picks up with a great guitar riff, which is also a feature of 'Real A Lie' and 'My Foggy Notion'.  The album is not straight out rock though, 'I’ll Be Anything You Want' is a punky affair, and 'Would If I Could' is a highlight with its sweet vocals and poppy sound.  There are also some ideas that do not work, such as the piano driven 'Overpower Thee', which is out of place and shows Auf der Maur’s main weakness – she is not a good singer.  Disguised in the majority of tracks by the music, the ballad leaves her vocal ability vulnerable, though she is not terrible.  The album finishes how it started in 'I Need I Want I Will', and overall it is a very successful debut.  Great riffs, great bass lines, (as you would expect), and some great rock songs.