Produced by Rob Cavallo, who garnered recognition through work with Green Day and Bad Religion, the new L7 album captures the band better than their previous two major label records.
The muddy, metallic feel of Hungry For Stink has been stripped for a direct, reckless sound that at times comes close to their masterpiece, Smell the Magic. Also welcome are the few moments of slightly lighter touches, such as "Moonshine," "Bitter Wine," or "Non-Existent Patricia," where L7 turn down the distortion and slow the tempo a bit.
Despite the departure of bassist and occasional song-writer Jennifer Finch, the songs on The Beauty Process are consistent and interesting. Lyrics range from the nearly-trademark sardonic humor ("I Need"), to the wild abandon that also characterizes the band ("Off The Wagon"), and through to the rage that animated much of Smell the Magic ("The Masses Are Asses").
Songs like "Bad Things" show that the gutteral punk approach that the band started with ten years ago remains with them, and continues to provide a workable system even as their career progresses. And the murky, vicious riff of "Must Have More" demonstrates their continuing ability to find solid foundations for their most brutal moments.
In many ways, The Beauty Process is their best album to date. By mixing the best elements of their sound - slow burners, punk anthems, and thick, metallic pounders - they manage to put together an album that is able to maintain interest in a way that Bricks Are Heavy failed to do.
With this mixture of ideas, lyrical and musical, L7 show that they are one of the few bands to emerge from the grunge period who remain worth following. While most of the post-grunge bands descended into boring self-pity and mock-angst, L7 not only participated in the original creative boom but also, ten years after their beginnings, manage to show how alternative rock should be done.
The blueprint for L7 has, of course, never changed. But while accepting the basically static nature of garage rock, The Beauty Process is a highlight by virtue of quality songs and effective production.
