Ok class, now sit down and we'll have a discussion about your plans for the future. You first Charlie Forsberg, tell the rest of the class what you want to do when you grow up?

"I want to be Courtney Love and sing in a rock band, Miss"

Skip forward a few years and yes indeed, Miss Forsberg is singing in her own rock band called Citizen Charlie and she's doing her best to be Courtney Love. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but if you told me this was Hole's new offering, I'd have believed you (actually, it's probably too good to be Hole's new album. It's waaaay better than that ). You get my point and if you like or love Courtney at her best, then you'll love this Norwegian piece of rock because this is great stuff and, let's face it, Hole and Courtney are hit and miss at the best of times.
 
Lead singer and focal point Charlie Forsberg has been around the rock scene for a few years now and originally started out in Charlie's Drugstore way back in '99 before splitting and eventually forming Citizen Charlie. Some of you may have seen her perform at the SOS festival in Manchester earlier this year and she's pencilled in a UK tour for next March which, on this showing, I've just decided i'm going to. (Hint Hint Über Boss!)

She knows her craft; these are eleven great songs and you get a splattering of attitude, pop-punk, catchy choruses and commercial, radio friendly rock which I haven't stopped playing since I received it. This is one woman that delivers the goods without compromise and I know we can't always say that.
 
I'm not even going to pick out individual songs because they are all genuinely that good. In the age of throwaway singles and download-what-you-want offers, it's nice to see a w(hole) album that kicks ass.
 
Up Yours Indeed!!

www.myspace.com/citizencharlie