In the second category of songs, however, Division of Laura Lee comes off sounding like a wholly different rock band — one with a harder modern rock edge clearly in the vein of the Swedish sound. This is not surprising in light of the band's Swedish roots. With these songs, Division of Laura Lee tries to pull off a punker-than-thou swagger, their sound approaching that of the Hives and, to a much lesser extent, the International Noise Conspiracy. Granted, there are very agreeable tracks in this class; the unfortunate thing is that DoLL doesn't quite do the Stooges/MC5 proto-punk sound as well as the Hives. Sure, there are some memorable sing-along choruses; it's just that this sound has been done and redone... and better. Specifically, We've Been Planning This For Years, Second Rule Is and others are repetitive, uninnovative, and over-produced (the catchy background "yeah-yeahs" on the first of these notwithstanding).

Though another in the recent rash of signings of Swedish bands to prominent American labels, Division of Laura Lee clearly demonstrates that their style can differ from the sound of the band's compatriots. But this effort falls noticeably short in cohesiveness and originality. If the band sticks to what it does best on its next effort, look out. For further reading, check out this interview with lead singer Per Halberg .