profane power pop a la chainsaw

Each Finger (Sky Records)

Insane Jane

By Kory Wilcoxson

Behind the brick wall of sound built by Insane Jane on Each Finger is a tormented and agnostic soul wrung out by lead singer Yellow.

Religious symbols pervade this album and the cross dangling on a woman's chest that decorates the cover is a good representation of the conflict of religion and sin on Each Finger.

Insane Jane

On "3-Djesus," a cyclone of music driven by Tom Branch's guitar, Yellow sings "There's a man on the corner/He's preachin ' the gospel and f—in' a brother." Heaven forbid if Tipper gets her mitts on this.

On "I Won't Stand," Yellow takes the soapbox and says definitively "I won't stand for that man, the man on the cross." Yet the liner notes, which contain the words for the rest of the songs, only says "May your faith in the Lord remain true."

That's some deep stuff. If you don't feel like having your religious beliefs challenged, you can always sit back and just enjoy the music, which is power pop played to the tune of a chainsaw.

Yellow's voice flip-flops between Chrissie Hynde and a Hope Chest-era Natalie Merchant and backs up her statements with force.

Forcefully could also describe how the rest of the band – Branch on guitars, Dave Roth on bass and Tim Campion on drums attack their duties.